Friday, August 5, 2011

A Harp at the (Royal) Wedding

Many friends and colleagues told me about the harpist that they saw at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  This harpist, Claire Jones, is the official harpist to the Prince of Wales (Charles), and often performs at royal events.  This, however, was the wedding of the century for any harpist!  In a recent interview, Miss Jones mentioned some of the beautiful repertoire that the couple chose, including pieces by Handel (his Harp Concerto, written for a former royal harpist in the 18th century!), C.P.E. Bach, and Tchaikovsky.  The instrument on which she performs is a special design, donated by the Italian harpmaker Salvi, and has been used by the Royal Harpist since the year 2000.  Here is a clip of Miss Jones performing and being interviewed shortly before the wedding:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUAJThGkKXg&feature=fvwrel