5 – 10 April | Edinburgh International Harp Festival

Sat, 27 April | 2pm – 5pm | Rehearsal for Fringe concert plus Follow-on classes

Sat, 25 May | 2pm – 5pm | Rehearsal for Fringe concert plus Follow-on classes

Sat, 29 June | 2pm – 5pm | Rehearsal for Fringe concert plus Follow-on classes

Sat, 27 July | 2pm – 5pm | Rehearsal for Fringe concert

Mon, 19 Aug | 7:30 – 9:30pm | FESTIVAL FRINGE CONCERT, C. Stout and C. MacKay**

Wed, 21 Aug | 7:30 – 9:30pm | FRINGE CONCERT, Young Players, Columcille**

Thurs, 22 Aug | 7pm – 9:30pm | Rehearsal for Fringe concert

Fri, 23 Aug | 7:30 – 9:30pm | FRINGE CONCERT – Na Clarsairean, St. Andrew’s & St. Georges Church**

Sat, 30 Nov | 10am – 4:30pm | HARPS OF GOLD Day to Play

Sat, 7 Dec | 2pm – 5pm | HARPS OF GOLD rehearsal

Sat, 14 Dec | 2pm – 5pm | HARPS OF GOLD rehearsal

Sun, 15 Dec | Morning | HARPS OF GOLD rehearsal, Queen’s Hall

Sun, 15 Dec | Afternoon | HARPS OF GOLD CONCERT, Queen’s Hall

**See Edinburgh Festival Fringe Brochure for further information.

Na Clàrsairean is the clarsach orchestra run by the Edinburgh Branch of The Clarsach Society.  It welcomes players from all areas, whether or not they are society members. Sessions cost £5 for adults and £2 for children/students.  This payment covers the costs of running the session e.g. hiring and heating the hall, music, refreshments and tutors’ fees. If you prefer you can pay for a year’s sessions in January at the rate of £60 for adults,  £24 for students and children.

Unless otherwise stated, rehearsals are at Craiglockhart Parish Church Hall, Craiglockhart Avenue, Edinburgh  EH14 1HS.   Be tuned and ready to start playing at 2 o’clock.  We usually finish playing at 4.30 but most people stay on for a cup of tea and some home baking.

Problems? Queries? 

Contact  Helen Quigley, Convenor of the Edinburgh Branch, HelenSQuigley@aol.com / 0131-662 9394 or

Hazel Briton, Edinburgh Branch Secretary, clarsachsedinburgh@gmail.com / 01506 842449

A professional harpist who has performed for royalty and celebrities has been elected as the new Convenor of The Clarsach Society. Golspie-born Jennifer Port, a renowned professional clarsach player and previously Vice Convenor of the Society, took over the reins on 17th November at its Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh, building on the 11 years of service given by its outgoing Convenor Kate Gray. Jennifer is well known within the clarsach community, having played for The Princess Royal, Madonna and the Duke of York and she has the credibility and experience to lead The Clarsach Society.

For Kate Gray, handing over to Jennifer was a natural progression and she welcomes the prospect of the next generation taking ownership of an organisation which seeks to promote Scotland’s oldest instrument. Kate described her times with the Society as, “Sometimes testing but always rewarding and inspiring” and said that she would look forward to working with Jennifer in years to come. In thanking Kate for her service, Jennifer said: “Kate has done a fabulous job as Convenor of the Society and has shown huge commitment, support and leadership.”

Jennifer’s own involvement with The Clarsach Society began at primary school and she has been an active member of the Executive Council holding senior positions on the Music Committee and Executive Council.  Jennifer said, “ I hope to continue moving The Clarsach Society forward, encouraging new members and promoting the many great features of the Society, including harp hire, local branch activities and the fantastic annual Edinburgh International Harp Festival.”

She began her career after being encouraged by her primary school teacher to take up the clarsach, the small Scottish harp. This humble beginning led to a life-long love of the instrument which, supported by regular lessons, festivals and Feisean along the way, saw her graduate from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama with a BA in Scottish Music (Hons) in 2003.  Since then Jennifer has been a finalist in the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year and in 2004, she composed a piece for the New Voices series at Celtic Connections Festival all whilst working as a full- time musician

We are delighted and very proud to announce that Isobel Mieras, has been awarded the Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award, and introduced to the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, the first clarsach player to be so honoured.

Isobel Mieras is an inspirational figure in the world of the clarsach and has been a teacher and mentor to generations of young musicians as well as being, for many years, a tireless advocate of the harp and an outstanding servant to The Clarsach Society and Edinburgh International Harp Festival.

Isobel was born in Edinburgh on March 11, 1940 and grew up in a family where music, especially singing, was part of everyday life. Her mother was a singing teacher and among Isobel’s earliest memories are of lying in bed listening to her mother giving singing lessons and learning the huge repertoire of Scottish traditional songs that she taught to her pupils.

On leaving school Isobel trained as a primary school teacher and used to supplement her meagre student’s budget by singing at clan association concerts and ceilidhs in Edinburgh. At one of these gatherings she was told that her voice would sound beautiful with clarsach accompaniment. At this point the clarsach was virtually unknown to the general public, including Isobel. Soon afterwards, though, she was introduced to the redoubtable Jean Campbell, doyenne of the Clarsach Society.

After a few initial lessons Isobel gave up the clarsach but in 1966 she was welcomed back into the fold and forged a musical and personal bond that resulted in Jean Campbell passing on her wealth of experience and enthusiasm and giving Isobel the opportunity to appear in concerts including the Saltire Society’s Edinburgh Festival series where she accompanied singers and actors including Ian Gilmore, John Shedden and Neil Mackie.

While being much in demand as a performer, Isobel continued teaching at South Morningside Primary School, sharing her knowledge and love of Scottish traditional song with her pupils, until the number of clarsach hopefuls turning up at her door looking for lessons became such that her full-time job had to go. She taught as a clarsach specialist at Howgate Primary then established the clarsach at George Watson’s College, St Mary’s Music School then the City of Edinburgh Music School while giving a solid grounding in the instrument to a list of private students that includes Catriona McKay, Maeve Gilchrist, Ailie Robertson and Fiona Rutherford, all now well established as musicians, composers and performers.

In the 1980s Isobel became director of na Clarsairean, the Edinburgh branch of the Clarsach Society’s harp orchestra, contributing compositions and arrangements for players of abilities ranging from beginner to accomplished working together in an inclusive environment, and went on to oversee their annual Christmas concerts and organise well-received trips to consecutive World Harp Congresses in the US, Prague and Geneva.

Since 1999, having watched it grow from small beginnings to a genuinely international event, she has served as Artistic Adviser to the Edinburgh International Harp Festival and as well as consistently presenting leading harp players from across the world, in 2006 she took the festival into the Guinness Book of Records by organising the largest, at the time, group of harp players ever amassed, two hundred and one, to play the final concert.

As ever with Isobel, this was an inclusive group – with festival guests joining complete beginners – and her great joy remains passing on her knowledge and skills to youngsters and seeing them getting enjoyment and expressing their personalities through music

Article courtesy of Hands Up for Trad

To join the Branch or find out more about their plans, contact:

Debbie Trower, Bardennoch, Steading, North Street, Moniaive, DG3 4HZ
Tel:  +44 (0) 1848 200 235
Email: service@mustwines.co.uk

Where: Edinburgh
Price: £2200 ono.
Contact: charlotte.r.t@gmail.com or my mobile number 07557 286596
Posted: 01 December 2011

Strong, durable high quality case, lined with heavy duty, hard wearing foam.

Where: Edinburgh
Price: £300 ono (bought for €585)
Contact: Further details contact ailie.robertson@gmail.com
Posted: 28 July 2011