Somerset Folk Harp Festival

Exhibitors & Vendors

The Best Harp Shopping on the East Coast: Widest Selections of Instruments

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Open to Visitors Too:
Build Your Own Harp
with Professor Dennis Waring

When: Saturday 9am & 1:30pm
Come build a Waring Harp with Professor Dennis Waring. This is a 2-session workshop. You'll have an opportunity to build your own 19-string harp from the Waring Music harp kit, special discount rate of $110 only at the festival. All materials and tools are provided. The first session is the construction of the harp frame & body and the second session is for stringing your instrument. Harp features: Strings and spacing meet modern standards. Encompases over a two-octave range, suitable for basic repertoire. Has 19 strings beginning with G below middle C. The high- grade corrugated cardboard sound box is extremely durable and when painted is resistant even to rain.
Conference attendees, please sign up in advance for this workshop. $50 deposit. Class limited to the first 12 people. Contact Dennis with questions and to reserve your kit. If you forget to sign up in advance, you can still show up to the workshop to see if there's room for you!

Specifically For Visitors:
I Always Wanted to Play the Harp!
with Gerry Serviente

When: Friday & Saturday mornings at 10am
Buy Your Visitor Ticket at the Festival Registration Desk & Come On In!
Have you ever said to yourself "I always wanted to play the harp"? Experience a harp first-hand, literally. We have a 45-minute workshop offered to any of our daily Visitors. Sure, you're coming for the day to check out the Exhibit Hall and maybe go to a concert, but this mini-workshop is intended as a "get acquainted" session--just you, an experienced harper and your hands on a harp. There's nothing to be fear or feel self-conscious about. learn how to make a "joyful noise". Ask questions. Get answers. After this workshop be sure to attend the daily "harp tasting" and be the judge on what kind of sound you like in a harp.

Attend a Harp Tasting
What's a Harp Tasting?

Open to festival registrants, non-harping companions & Visitors
It is a blind testing that allows the audience to hear and compare the sounds of several harps without knowing their brand. The tasting is conducted in the concert hall behind the stage curtain and the same piece is played on each harp. Audience members are given evaluation sheets which they can use strictly for their own purposes. There are "no winners" at a harp tasting since every musician has different criteria by which they judge and everyone has their own likes and dislikes. There will be tasting for small harps - 29 strings and fewer, and over 29 strings. Depending on interest, there may also be a testing of other harps.

Small Harp Tasting: Friday at noon
Large Harp Tasting: Saturday at noon

Get Your Harp Regulated at the Festival

William Grant is a certified harp technician for Salvi and Lyon & Healy and he's back at the festival this year ready to do harp regulation and repairs. Last year he was a busy, busy man! You can schedule time to drop off your harp either through our harp regulation forum or by emailing Bill directly. Bill will also be doing a 1-hr DIY Harp Maintenance on Friday and Saturday at 11:30am to show you how to tie strings, make simple adjustments and diagnose and fix those annoying buzzes. Bring your harp to that one!

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Exhibitors & Vendors

The Best Harp Shopping on the East Coast: Widest Selections of Instruments

Open to Visitors Too: Build Your Own Harp with Professor Dennis Waring

Specifically For Visitors: I Always Wanted to Play the Harp! with Gerry Serviente

Attend a Harp Tasting What's a Harp Tasting?

Open to Visitors Too:
Build Your Own Harp
with Professor Dennis Waring

Specifically For Visitors:
I Always Wanted to Play the Harp!
with Gerry Serviente

Attend a Harp Tasting
What's a Harp Tasting?