Interview with Irish Harpist Gráinne Hambly

May 7

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Listen on Spotify or Listen on Stitcher

Ever since I first saw Gráinne Hambly perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival I’ve been inspired.

No other performer on the harp influenced me as much as Gráinne did early on in my harp journey. I first heard her perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and was wowed at what the harp could sound like. The jigs and reels just fly from her fingers. She makes it look and sound so effortless. It’s gorgeous to hear. The first album of hers that I ever purchased was, “Between the Showers”. I can’t tell you how many copies of this album I have purchased for friends and family over the years. It’s still one of my favourites.

Here’s Gráinne’s bio taking from You Gotta Have Harp’s Website:

Since 1998 Gráinne Hambly has been touring extensively throughout the United States and has not only garnered an ever-growing following of devoted harp enthusiasts but has managed to cross over and capture the Irish music fan with the taste for the fast, driving reels and jigs of traditional music. She has broken the genteel parlor image and elevated the stature of the harp right up there with the fiddles and pipes in the realm of dynamic dance music. Add to that the unsurpassed expressive quality the harp has in her hands in the rendition of age-old airs and laments and you have the masterful performance of an experienced and renowned player.

A lifelong County Mayo resident, Gráinne has not rested on the laurels of winning the senior All-Ireland titles on harp and concertina in 1994 and then the prestigious Keadue and Granard harp competitions. Her three critically acclaimed solo CDs, The Thorn Tree (2006), Between the Showers (1999) and Golden Lights Green Shadows, (2003) are "must haves" for every Irish harp player and fan. She has also recorded with numerous other artists. She has also published two books of her arrangements. She tours most of the year and has appeared at most of the major harp and Irish music festivals in the U.S. and Europe.

She and William Jackson teamed up and began touring as "The Masters of the Celtic Harp" in 2005 and have been traveling together ever since. They live now outside of Claremorris in County Mayo.

Be sure to check out Gráinne and Billy’s free online concert on May 23rd at 3:00pm EDT. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grainne-hambly-and-william-jackson-live-online-registration-103535543598

And check out Grainne’s Website

http://grainnehambly.com/

And FB page

https://www.facebook.com/hamblyjacksonmusic/

Notes for Gráinne’s Podcast

Harper’s Escape at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival

http://www.somersetharpfest.com/escape.html

May 23rd 2020 Free online concert with Billy Jackson

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grainne-hambly-and-william-jackson-live-online-registration-103535543598

Gráinne’s Website

http://grainnehambly.com/