Classical Harp Recital

Yesterday I gave my second annual Classical harp recital in our front yard.  It was perhaps only the second Classical harp recital ever given in this country!  I’m incredibly blessed with a concert grand pedal harp beside my bed, and though its fragility makes it too risky to remove from home, I share my music with others here whenever possible.

Though I practice for only twenty minutes each day, before leaving for work, I was able to prepare a 45-minute classical program for my November 2021 recital.  Over the past year, I improved those pieces and learned five more, so yesterday’s recital was a full hour long.  At its conclusion I played a medley of hymns as an encore, which the 60-strong audience enjoyed.

To accommodate the concertgoers, we borrowed our organization’s tent and hired some co-workers to set it up in our front yard.  Boniface brought his church’s plastic chairs to set up inside it and Stephanie covered them with her elegant chair covers.  She also decorated the “stage” (our front porch) with white cloths, a green mat, and flowers.  Boniface handled the logistics of parking, bathrooms, drinking water, and answering calls on my phone as the concert approached and guests needed directions.  My family’s kind help freed me to focus on my music.

Although Classical music is a novelty here, the audience showed excellent concert etiquette.  They applauded enthusiastically when I bowed upon entering the stage and at the conclusion of each number, and respectfully focused their attention on me in silence while I played.  At last year’s recital, these points were specifically announced at the beginning of the program, and I was pleased that many seemed to have remembered them this year.  I would love to see the local Classical music scene grow over the coming years.