h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm just back home after having attended a concert here. It was a choir directed by my friend Jannie Becker, and there was also a woman who played a harp. At any rate, it was a lot of stress just going. It was well after sundown and I don't like driving in the dark. Also the venue is the military chapel, so when I went in there were soldier-types that made me very nervous! But I saw many acquaintances there, about which I'm happy. I should visit more of them perhaps. Well, the choir was very good, the harp player not so good, but still entertaining. So I at least got out a bit, and when I returned, the house was still here and the cat still alive, so all's well that ends well!

That was very brave of you to go by the sound of it. I don't go anywhere by myself, so you have my admiration.

I don't think that I have ever heard a live performance of a harp. I am sure that I would like to though, if I had the chance.

Hi Lanzababy! Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Now here's a performance that's more like proper harp playing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-mbQZVDaWI&feature=related

That sounds great, Willem.

I like good harp music. Takes skill, that instrument.

How did you manage to watch a fourteen-minute video in less than a minute Dmitri?

I guess he was replying to your first post?

I am listening to the harp music in another window, it is remarkable - not at all like I was expecting. Thanks for posting it Willem

Indeed, Lanza is right, I was replying to your first post.

I read that and said, 'Er, what video?' We'll watch it.

And we did - as dinner music. Very lovely. That young woman has amazing musicality to go with her technique.

Hi Willem,

I hope you don't mind my intruding on your journal thread, especially since I don't think we've met before - though I have seen and very much enjoyed your artwork in The Post. I have a bad habit of trawling through recent h2g2 conversations when I am lonely and insomniac, and the title 'Choir and Harp Concert' caught my eye. I very much enjoyed the link you provided, so I'm going to share one with you. To a nearest approximation, none of my friends have liked Joanna Newsom when I've tried to foist her music on them, but I have to keep trying. Here's a link to a song called Cosmia. There are others of hers that I like better, but I think that this is a good introduction. She doesn't necessarily do anything special with the harp, but I love to watch the concentration and professionalism of her backing musicians. If you hate it, don't worry, you won't be alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kM0VVUjRXc

Good job I used preview. I somehow managed to paste in a link of someone ringing the tenor bell at Worcester Cathedral instead of Cosmia.

Glad you liked that Lanzababy and Dmitri! Hygienicdispenser, I've seen you around and welcome to my journal! Thanks also for the link to Joanna Newsom's song. It is not *quite* my cup of tea but interesting and I enjoyed watching the video! Especially the man playing the saw towards the end. This is a rare art but one still sees it. My mother's father could! He played the violin as well, and I think there *must* be a rather busted-up violin and bow lying in this house somewhere ...

that was amazing too.

I am really fascinated now by harp music, I obviously was mistaken in thinking it was all softly melodic and old fashioned. I shall have to investigate more.

Do post more pieces - I am intrigued.

I like to identify harps in songs which I hear randomly, like on the radio. I wonder about the players and how long they trained. Harp music sounds really special to me and I'll stick my neck out and say it's my favourite instrument. Prince Charles has his own harpist

Good to hear you are venturing out Willem, even though it was scary it's a small step and I am glad there were people at the concert that you knew.

Hey, thanks for that link. Not only is the music great, but I recognise that church venue in Philadelphia. I think we were there, once.

Saws are great instruments. Growing up, I remember a couple of musical saw players who performed at my church. Yeah, yeah, crazy US Southerners, it's a hillbilly instrument, but it's like an acoustical theremin...

The musical saw is a rarely seen beast. I think that, in the UK anyway, it was the sort of thing that would appear as a novelty act on variety shows. I've never seen one being played as part of a band before. It's a wonderfully eerie sound. Even while you're actually watching the bloke doing it, it's hard to believe that that sound isn't coming from some fancy bit of electronic equipment.

The church in Philadelphia looks like a lovely venue for concerts.

Well Done Willem, I have a very good idea of how much effort that cost you, but now you have done it once with no mishaps I hope you will do something similar again. It is the only way to get over the problems.

I was like that when I first started my charity work as I had been looking after elderly parents and not going out for so long, it felt like an alien world. The only way is to keep doing it.

I am sure your friends and acquaintances were pleased to see you out and about. Oh, and try never to refuse an invitation.



Websailor

Hi everyone, thanks for the comments. I'll post some new harp music vids soon, tomorrow I hope, it's almost bed-time for me again. I will try and attend more such events, or do other things like going to a game reserve. Maybe ask some friends to come along.

Sounds like a plan. I think with your extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna, perhaps you could make extra money by being an ecoguide for photographers and such. That would be cool if you could develop a detached persona (maybe a takeoff of a great white hunter) and added humor similar to Mitzi Wildebeest's. If you had a theatrical bend that is, if you developed a persona --it might be less threatening to you personally. Do you know any of the park rangers or animal rehabilitation people? If you networked with them, you might be able to get customers, also contacting the hotels in the neighbourhood. Your passion and enthusiasm could possibly be made to pay.

Hi Elektra! I really don't know if enough photographers come around here. I've had big problems in the past with trying to network with the nature conservation folks over here ... right now I really don't have the courage to try *again*. I don't know, I'll somehow have to get into the thing, but it's probably going to happen very, very slowly.

Anyways ... here are some rock songs I like with a bit of harp music in them. I'm not sure if this is real harp or synthesized harp though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6iXTreOT3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVWkWswz6OI

Lyriel and Elis are both German, gothic-ish bands. (Elis is no more, sad to say.)

Those are two new bands to me, Willem, and they both look interesting. Listening to them is going to have to wait for tomorrow unfortunately (it's 12.45am). I'll report back tomorrow.