Orchestra of harpists hope to steal the show

A COUNTY Limerick harp orchestra will represent Ireland at the European Youth Festival in Austria starting tomorrow, where 198 music schools from all over Europe will be performing.

The National Harp Orchestra is the junior orchestra at Harbison’s Irish Harp Centre & Music School and based in Castleconnell. Its 25 harpists, some as young as nine, come from Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.

The orchestra tours nationally and internationally and features a mix of modern and traditional Irish music, song and dance. It will be accompanied on the trip by parents and friends, bringing the tour party to over 50.

The head of the school, Janet Harbison said: “We were delighted to be invited to represent Ireland in Linz and it is a huge opportunity to promote Irish harping to young musicians throughout Europe.

“One of my key objectives with the Irish Harp Centre and our orchestras and performances is to restore the Irish harp as a vibrant, meaningful national emblem. Our repertoire will be a funky, modern mix of old and new Irish traditional music and is far removed from the ‘twee’ image of Irish harping.”

Janet set up the Irish Harp Centre & Music School in 2002 with her husband Malcolm Gullis, who is school principal. They have been developing the business since then, offering a mix of music tuition, teacher training, workshops and summer schools.

The Irish Harp Centre & Music School now has almost 400 students and 22 teachers covering all traditional instruments and is home to the National Harp Orchestra, the youth training orchestra, and also the Irish Harp Orchestra, the professional, touring stage production.

The professional Irish Harp Orchestra will also be undertaking further International tours to Europe later this year and Janet will be participating in a number of solo and ensemble performances on the international circuit in the US and Europe.

Janet has two significant CD launches scheduled for this year.