Powys harp virtuoso Elinor comes out of retirement to create musical history

The recitals by Elinor Bennett, who hails from Llanidloes, will give music lovers an opportunity to listen to music from the 18th and early 19th centuries played on two wonderful old harps, made in the same period.

The first performance will be at Theatr Twm o'r Nant, Denbigh at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 18.

The bilingual concert, Llais Hen Delynau/Voice of Old Harps, will feature music by Handel, blind harpist John Parry, Edward Jones (The King's Bard), Rosetti, Spohr and contemporaries.

It’s being made possible thanks to the generosity of the main sponsor, the arts-loving Pendine Park care organisation through the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT).

The trust was set up to supports arts and community events by Pendine Park proprietors, Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, who live in Denbigh.

The performance will be a special occasion for them because Pendine - which has nine award-winning care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon - is celebrating its 40 anniversary this year.

Mario said: “Elinor is truly a national treasure, a supremely gifted harpist who has made an unforgettable mark on the world stage. We’re incredibly lucky that she is Welsh.

“She has also found time to teach and inspire generations of young harpists following in her illustrious footsteps.

“This year is special for us at Pendine and we were delighted to have the opportunity to support this wonderful concert.

“It chimes perfectly with our ethos because music and the arts in general are the golden thread running through daily life at Pendine, helping to enrich the lives of our residents and staff alike.”

Elinor, who lives near Caernarfon, said: I have owned these harps for many years and have long wanted to do something with them. They were made to be played and not placed in a corner somewhere.

"So I've decided to come out of my self-imposed retirement to perform a selection of music from the same period as when these harps were made.

"Having played the modern concert harp professionally for many years, I wish to share the joy of playing music on authentic, original instruments and discussing aspects of playing two historic harps from my collection.

"I relied on the old harps - and music from their time - to guide me. It has been a revelation - as the sound and playing techniques are very different to the modern harp. I am grateful for the help that I have received from distinguished early music experts and try to follow their advice.

Elinor said the story begins with the triple harp, which was developed in Italy during the Baroque period and was played at the Royal Court in London at the time of George Frederic Handel.

"With three rows of strings, the triple harp was difficult to play, expensive to string, and was forgotten by harpists in other countries. Paradoxically, it was adopted by the old Welsh harpists, and became the instrument of ordinary people in Wales during the 19^th century.

"The harp played in this programme was made by the famous Triple harp-maker, John Richard of Llanrwst in about 1755. Of course it’s been restored but apart from the strings and a new sound board it is completely authentic and plays well and sounds beautiful," said Elinor.

She added the triple harp was replaced in most European countries during the late 18th century by new, beautifully decorated pedal harps from France and Germany, enabling harpists to use their feet to transpose to many keys easily.

"The new harps became popular among fashionable and wealthy ladies of the upper classes in Europe.

"The most renowned maker was Sebastian Erard, who worked in the Court of doomed Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Erard had to flee to London during the French Revolution and opened a workshop in Great Marlborough Street, where my harp was made in 1807.

"It is beautifully decorated and very ornate and is completely different to the triple harp which is very plain by comparison. As with the triple harp this instrument was renovated about 35 years ago by Morley harps," she said.

The recitals are being presented as part of the Noson Allan/Night Out scheme run by the Arts Council of Wales. In addition to the performance in Denbigh Elinor will appear at Eglwys Dewi Sant, Cardiff on June 20 and at a venue in Pembrokeshire in July.

"I'm pleased Theatr Twm o'r Nant, Denbigh saw fit to be the first to stage this performance and I'm extremely pleased that Pendine Park are supporting the evening. They do magnificent work in the arts and have been very supportive of other projects I have been involved in recent years."

Elinor Bennett has been at the forefront of music performance and education and has travelled worldwide giving concerts, recitals and masterclasses.

She studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with the great harpist Osian Ellis and after graduating went on to perform with major British orchestras with some of the world's finest conductors and composers, including Benjamin Britten, Sir Colin Davis and Andre Previn. Among the composers who have dedicated music to her are Karl Jenkins, John Metcalf, Alun Hoddinott and Paul Mealor.

In 1985 Elinor was awarded a Churchill Scholarship to travel to Australia to study Music Therapy and was the driving force in establishing the William Mathias Music Centre in Caernarfon and founded the Wales International Harp Festival.

She has appeared as performer and jury member in harp festivals and competitions internationally.

She was Director of Harp Studies at Bangor University for many years and Visiting Professor of Harp at both the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music in London. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music by the University of Wales. She has made many recordings, and appeared regularly on music programmes on radio and TV.

Tickets cost £10, concessions £5 and are available from Siop Clwyd, 33 High St, Denbigh or call 01745 812349.