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Annual Celtic Harp Competition at the
THIS WILL BE A SCOTTISH HARP SOCIETY OF AMERICA (SHSA) SANCTIONED COMPETITION. Special thank you to our Prize Sponsor: |
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And we have the special privilege of being selected to award the:
awarded to the winner* at the Apprentice level. The recipient |
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To enter you must REGISTER ONLINE All Festival Competition Participants must bring a signed 'Hold Harmless Agreement' on the day of the event. Children under the age of 18 years must have a parent or guardian sign a 'Hold Harmless Agreement'. Completed registration (by a participant, parent, or guardian over the age of 18) will constitute implied acceptance of the contents of this document. For questions please contact Jen Narkevicius at harping@cssm.org NOTE: The ticket purchased, upon completetion of your online registration, is your admission to the Festival and your entry into the Harping Competition!Per SHSA Rules, Competitors will be required to hold membership |
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Repeat: Harp Competitors MUST register online, bring a signed 'Hold Harmless Agreement', and be members of Scottish Harp Society of America, but there is no extra entry fee again this year.
Harpers arriving no later than 8:45 AM will be able to drive up to the harp venue and drop off your harps before moving your car to the parking area. If you arrive after the “drive on” to the park closes, you will be responsible for walking in from the parking area with your harp. You are strongly encouraged to arrive early enough to take advantage of the harp drop off.
The categories by Skill Level:
- BEGINNER (has just begun learning to play harp): Plays one Scottish tune, either with or without music, so that the melody is recognizable.
- NOVICE plays two tunes, with or without sheet music, from two different tune categories, with some degree of musicality. Novices receiving scores of 80% or more in two competition years must compete at the Apprentice level their next competition year.
- APPRENTICE (received 80% at the Novice level in two competition years; OR is able to adequately perform in public): Plays two pieces - one an air and one of contrasting style, not necessarily at speed but with rudimentary Scottish ornamentation, rhythm, and expression. Apprentices receiving scores of 80% or more in two competition years must compete at the Journeyman level their next competition year.
- JOURNEYMAN (received 80% at the Apprentice level in a prior year; OR is able to give an enjoyable performance in public, demonstrates a solid understanding of the Scottish idiom, uses technique, ornamentation, rhythm and appropriate style): Plays a 7-10 minute program of three selections in any order - an air, a strathspey (or similarly challenging tune), and a third contrasting piece. Any medley should be identified and introduced as such. Journeymen receiving scores of 80% or more in two competition years must compete at the Master level in subsequent competition years.
- MASTER (received 80% as a Journeyman in two competition years; OR is a Scottish harper of the highest caliber with advanced harp technique and a thorough grasp of the traditional Scottish idiom, including phrasing, ornamentation and dance rhythms): Plays a 10-15 minute varied program of Scottish music, which might range from an air to a march/strathspey/reel set (MSR) to a Theme and Variation (T&V). Any medley should be identified and introduced as such. Master Harpers are seasoned performers of Celtic musics, using their own arrangements and possessing a large and varied repertoire. Harpers should be prepared to share these tunes as an additional part of their performance competition if the judge so chooses.
Rules for Competition
- All music must be Celtic (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Isle of Man, Galicia).
- Harpers of any age may choose to play just for the Judge's comments, and need not be considered for a medal.
- The Judge is NOT required to award medals if it is felt that the performances do not merit awards, or if there are too few competitors.
- Competitors are responsible for knowing and complying with the rules. Consult the Scottish Harp Society of America Competitor’s Handbook on http://www.shsa.org/events/handbook.html for those rules.
- The Judge's decision is final.
*Somerset Folk Harp Festival Scholarship award will be made to best performing Apprentice over 10 years of age.
Judge
Jo Morrison is nationally known for her evocative interpretation of Scottish and Irish music on the harp. Chuck Lipsig from Green Man Review's Best of 2000 listings states "Jo gets more out of the harp than should be possible." She spent several months in 2005 teaching, writing music, and performing on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and her knowledge and understanding of the Celtic genre puts her in great demand as performer, adjudicator, and teacher across the country.
She frequently performs with the Celtic duo, Port Righ, featuring harp and shuttle pipe, the Highland Pipe's quieter cousin. The duo has performed concerts at locations such as the An Lanntair, Library of Congress, Somerset Harp Festival, the Smithsonian, various Scottish Festivals around the United States and also in Scotland, Ireland, and Germany. Their commitment to a traditional style gives them a sound comfortable both in today's modern society and also fitting for Renaissance festivals, historic sites, and other recreationist events. Port Righ released their first recording in 2007 Na Bi Gòrach -- Don't be Foolish .
When not performing, Jo spends her time teaching harp privately, in classes and in workshops, and composing and arranging Celtic music for the Celtic harp. She is currently Vice-President for the Washington Area Folk Harp Society and has previously served as Competition Chair and Board Member for the Scottish Harp Society of America. She teaches at Common Ground on the Hill in Westminster, MD and taught at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, the Somerset Harp Festival, and various workshops around the country.
Jo's musical gifts shine in her solo recordings. On her debut album, The Three Musics (1998), she gathered guest instrumentalists to celebrate the different musics performed by Celtic harpers of old: the musics of mirth, sorrow, and sleep. Jo intermingled arrangements of traditional tunes with her own original compositions "to create an atmosphere that brings to mind both modern coffee shops and halls of ancient kings" (Ellen Rawson, Femmusic). Jo followed this success with the critically acclaimed A Waulking Tour of Scotland (2000), leading listeners on a musical journey "pregnant with sights and flavors of an entire country" (Tom Knapp, Rambles). Jo's Christmas offering, Christmas Gifts (2003), is a collection of carols from around the world. "These eighteen tracks contain the meaning of the season within them, and will bring joy to the heart of any listener" (Naomi de Bruyn, Linear Reflections). By Request (2004) is Jo's musical reply to the oft-posed question, "When are you going to record that tune?" Featuring well-known favorites and Celtic classics, this CD is solo harp, so there are no other instruments or vocals to distract from the sublime sound of Jo and her harp.
In 2008, Jo expanded her recording repertoire by releasing a CD of all original music. Flights of Fantasy features tunes inspired by family, dear friends, Scotland, the Northern Lights, mountains, waterfalls, and dancing bison. Her tunes show her commitment to traditional style and creative diversity. While most of the album is harp music, Jo has also returned to her musical roots by writing a lovely set of piano tunes which she also plays to great effect.
In addition to these albums, Jo appears on the Washington Area Folk Harp Society's live recording of their 2000 Benefit Concert, The Song of the Selkie. She is featured on the soundtrack to the Scholastic edition of the children's book Rainbabies. She has published three popular collections of harp arrangements, "The Three Musics of the Celtic Harp", "The Morrison Scottish Repertoire Book", and "The Beginning Harper's Tunebook," which is rapidly becoming a standard for beginning folk harpers.
Jo received a scholarship from the Jan Pennington Gray Foundation to complete this program, and is now certified to provide therapeutic music at the bedside of the ill or dying and is a Certified Music Practitioner. She lives near Westminster, MD, with her husband Wayne and their four African Grey Parrots. She is available for any type of event, gives scholarly lectures on the history, folklore, and music of the Celtic harp and gives Celtic harp lessons privately and at workshops. For bookings, you may contact her at harp@triharpskel.com or 410-875-0855.
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