Added: 5 years ago
From: MarkHarmer
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  • in school today a girl came in and played the harp and im not big fan of this kind of music but wow you guys are awesome.

  • I brought your music to Bali on my Iphone. My Balinese girlfriend loves the music but had never seen a harp, hence I went onto You Tube and she now knows what a harp and harpist looks like!

    Most mornings we sit on our porch for a breakfast coffee and your music. It's a great way to start the day in paradise! Thank you Mark.

  • @ttillerman2 That's so fab! Your comment made my day - and I will think of Bali (although never been there) next time I play!

    Thank you for bringing a smile - I even read your comment out to a few people, I was so pleased to see it.

  • too fast

  • Is it me or it sounded like Stairway to Heaven?

  • what would the white mans world be without black people and if you want more aggression listen to metal

  • Back again. :)

  • beautiful

  • Hey Mark, what key is this in? Because my harp has only C and F levers.

  • o carolan if only you could see your poor country these days. we need your healing music

  • @jaddajn1 Aye to that. 

  • How awsome!

    Thanks you've made my night!

  • Carolan... For me one of the few absolutely greatest melodists! (And melody is, as much as I know, the only thing that survived from his work.)

    For me it's MUSIC at its best. Just like Monteverdi.

  • way to fast

  • ~incredibly Beautiful! I am glad to become acquainted, with your music. I have been collecting Celtic Harp, for a number of years. I am featuring your music, on my blog, at present.~It is such an olde and wonderful music. I am so glad that you do it justice, in your interpretation of it. ~ Thank You! ~Beannaichte'

  • Thanks for uploading this, it's beautiful, you have a great talent, God bless.

  • Wonderful talent!

  • you play it amazing

    very great job.

    we are glad to see you on our HANG & HARP channel:

    ciferencesymphony

    thanx CIFERENCE-SYMPHONY

  • Did anyone else notice the stuffed parrot in the background?

  • @piano8myhw You are the first person to notice it in the 4 years the video has been up! I was wondering when someone would spot it. To be honest, even when I edited the camera shots together, I didn't notice it. I don't have the parrot any more - it's a toy one that rather annoying repeated what you said to it and flapped its wings, which was amusing for the first few minutes. Then I used it to get attention at a stall we ran. After that I disposed of it... but it lives on in this video!

  • @MarkHarmer lol that's funny...

  • @MarkHarmer Holy smokes! There is a parrot there! I've watched this video so many times I've lost count & I have truly never noticed the parrot. How ironic.

  • @piano8myhw Now that you mention it, yes, I noticed the plush parrot in the background! I didn't notice it the first number of times I've seen the video.

  • Excellent sound!

  • I've listened to this song soooo many times, you play it so well.

  • great, just great!

  • this is nice.....

  • Is this not called carolans draft

  • Mark, I have wooed myself all night long with Female harpists for company. Your the third Male harpist I have enjoyed listening to this evening, and a lesson in dropping the stereotype. Thanks for sharing. x ;)

  • @Wonin6billion Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the music. Interestingly in Latin America, almost all harpists are male, and seeing a female harpist there is a rarity. But then their style is quite rhythmical and in-your-face, so maybe that's the difference.

  • blessed and peaceful..so beautiful

  • beautiful! I'd like to learn this, it doesn't look that hard :)

  • this is by far the best arrangement of Carolan's Dream. :)

  • damn...i will always love celtic/irish music...especially its use and influence in thousands of hollywood scores and games like elder scrolls (favourite) , there's nothing like this msuic and culture out there. One day i hope to live in Ireland for a while.

  • BEAUUUTIFULLL

    

  • hermosa interpretacion la musica exelente felicitaciones congratulations

  • Just let me ask...WHAT rough spots? Absolutely beautiful.

  • Beautiful song. excellent playing. I would love to learn the Harp. Is it hard to learn it. I have been playing guitar and keyboards for 50 years. Are harps expensive to purchasse.

  • @manofnusic

    The harp is a wonderful instrument. I have found that it is like any other instrument to learn. It is unique in sound and design but if you know a lot about music, it is easier to learn. Harps can be very expensive to purchase. I just spent $6000 on a beautiful Dusty Strings harp. I also have a Harpsicle which is a more inexpensive but still very nice harp that you can get for $300 without levers for accidentals. Hope this helps!

  • @djypsydjazz

    Thankyou for the info Nate, I appreciate it. It helps a lot

  • Although I have years of piano, I'm an absolute beginner on harp (happy 40th b-day to me!) Question: I've read in several places that the fifth finger is not used in harp at all. But I thought I saw you use your fifth finger a few times. Did I see that wrong, or is fifth finger used only by advanced players?

  • The BEST!!!

  • thank y Mr.mark

  • Mark: You are a true master on the Celtic Harp. I could listen to this piece an infinite number of times, it's so beautiful. It further illustrates what a genius Turlough O'Carolan was.

  • Very very beautiful. A pleasure to listen to :)

  • VERY nice. Carolan would have been pleased.

  • Lovely... I'd be willing to buy videos you make on itunes (I prefer to do that to help the artist out)... I like video over plain mp3...

  • so evocative... I 'd like to play this sitting down at the top of a cliff of Moher, in a cloudy day, inspired by the wind blowing on my hair and remembering old times

  • Go Raibh maith agat... its truely beautiful.

  • hi just a query ... are you left handed or is this video mirrored???if so is thet a special harp with the levers on the right??because im lefthanded and i had to learn to use my right hand

  • @dp17197 Hi there - definitely not reversed - this is a normal harp and the levers are where they normally are. Some people do play with the harp on the left shoulder, and even play the melody with the left hand, but that's quite rare. I do happen to write with my left hand, but consider myself otherwise right-handed and play it in the normal, right-handed way.

  • @MarkHarmer Why is it rare for people to play the melody in the left hand? Is it because it's harder? I know some people have difficulty switching hand position on the flute (right on top instead of left on top). Is it similar on harp? I'm asking because I can switch melodies on harp to either hand with ease & can play flute both right- and left-handed. I know it's weird with flute, but I never knew it was strange with harp as well.

  • @dp17197 ok thank you....and thanks for the great tune aswell

  • @dp17197 hi...!my name is...JORDI..in english...George...in gaelic>?me...calling from...FUCKING BARCELONA, CELT-I-BERIK, FUCKING...SPAIN<?CELTIBERIK CATALAN CHIEFTAIN calling "upon you" pure "keltoi"as the greeks said...and write..."them"..."keltoi"...CE­LTS people who came from east north and far away...INDO EUROPEAN MIGRATIONS B.C...!BY TUTATIS, BELENOS AND BELISANA...MERLIN ....!o´carolan!!TO ANYONE WHO LIKES TO READ..and listen..JUST .join the flow...!!.HUGS!YA ALL!

  • great arrangement!! :) and lovely playing!

  • Has anyone else noticed that the melody of this tune is nearly identical to 'stairway to heaven'?

  • Hi Mark. Can I be first in line for your new book? I love all of your arrangements. Can't wait for the book to come out. I enjoy your videos very much as they are all excellent.

  • Oh my, Buddha, this is amazing.

  • Yes Mark your album sounds really good and when i have enough money put by i will be getting a harp some are really affordable nowadays, but its always a pleasure to listen to good music.

  • AWESOME! ME GUSTA. ME GUSTA INDEED. :)

  • BEAUTIFUL!!! :)

  • This is wonderful :) I'm thinking of taking up harp playing now....

  • Oh wow!

  • You are an inspiration to me beyond belief man. That music is absolutely beautiful! I can only hope that one day that I can learn to play a harp as you do. (hell even if I could play my guitar like that I'd be happy).

  • you have no idea how i want to learn the harp, but my house isnt big enough to have one :/ , i also want to learn guitar , so i can do that, and if we move, or in the futur , ill leanr :D (fingers crossed)

  • This music is so beautiful! So relaxing and beautifully played. Well done!

  • One word...Divine

  • what kind of harp is that? do you know were i would be able to get a harp, something good for beginners, i finally convinced my mother to let me get lessons, but i need to find an affordable harp, something good for beginners, any advice?

  • @ethickca.

    Harp is an Irish instrument. You can find it on Waltons website (Irish).

    Google Waltons music ireland.

    You can find brand names of harps there. Harps are very costly.

  • absolutly delightful to listen to~<3 plz continue playing

  • Thank you for posting this video. It's simply the best!

  • Hi Mark, this is a fantastic arrangement- is it available for purchase? prettteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee­eeee pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee????­???

  • @rebeccadblake Hi there - and thank you for your lovely comment. I'm currently producing a book of my arrangements so watch this space!

  • a really nice arrangement and such a beautiful tune. I definitely have to put it on my "tunes i want to learn"-list!

  • amazing! I really want to learn how to play this.. If I really want to, do you think I can learn how to play it on my own? And where can you buy a harp? :)

  • Beautiful! It is such an elegant instrument and your performance is absolute great!

  • THANK YOU!!!! I want to learn to play this lovely instrument. Is one ever too old to learn? I can read music and play the piano well enough, but playing the harp has always been a dream.

  • @Gipsymom Hi there! I think on the contrary, the older the better - as you're likely to want to learn for a reason (rather than being told to) and also you have a lot of valuable musicianship already (playing the piano is a definite advantage). The fingerings are the same for both hands (rather than reversed, as on the piano) as the thumb is the top note in both hands. Also it always sounds nice, so it encourages you to practice. So, go for it - please! And ask me if you have any questions.

  • that is just absolutely BEUTIFUL

  • class playing Mark, thank you for sharing

  • The Celtic harp and the Pan-flute make a d@mn good mix. I only play the Pan-flute (18 pipe tenor), but this would be a nice addition to my musical career. I love everything Celtic, and DEFINITELY the music.

    Great job, man!!!! Your fingers move like 10 wands. :)

  • @celticbattleaxe Thank you! Have to say, the fingers have warmed up even more since I made this video. Thanks again fro dropping by! And yes, the harp is a great mix with anything with sustained sounds (never tried it with Pan-flute. Could be interesting).

  • @MarkHarmer You are most welcome. I think it sound cool if you added a Pan flute. Strings and woodwinds make gorgeous music!

    a choinneáil ar imirt an chláirseach!

    - Gaelige for 'keep on playing!'

  • I wanna play harp... Do someone knows where i can find some in Quebec, Canada? I've been searching from such a long time..

  • @shaneylle Go to "stoneyend(dot)com" and check it out. Thy sell Celtic harps, banjos, and a lot more. There harps are really great, and the quality is high with a nice fairly low price range.

  • I love your music!! It reminds of a time gone by. Dreamy,romantic music. Well done. You are very talented.

  • i have just started learning the harp because of this video.... thank you!

  • Beautiful. 

  • You play the harp very good! I feel like sitting beside you...listening to your peaceful playing! Thank you sincerly for this moment!

  • I LOVE MUSIC IN HARP SOLO.. IS THE BEST, RELAXING AND BEAUTIFUL SOUND EVER.. GREAT JOB

  • another instrument stolen by the irish, all they irish do is adopt stuff then they lay claim to it

  • @gaelscot Hmmm- read the description and title!!!

    Where have I claimed it's an Irish harp??? I've called it a celtic harp, and I happen to be playing an Irish piece on it. Not sure why you are getting so uptight about that.

  • @MarkHarmer - Mark, I'd ignore 'gaelscot'. He sounds as if he has a burr up his arse.

  • @camerondiaztwin I think you're right!!

  • @MarkHarmer I agree. Don't worry, go on playing ;o)

  • @MarkHarmer go deimhin, is olc an rud é sin a cloisteáil.

  • @leicsnamhagaelinn Sin ceart!

  • @gaelscot Who doesn't do that, cultures adopt new things and alter it to make it their own. Isn't that all America is? ESPECIALLY IN MUSIC! It's happened for century's and it continues today. The fact you are ignorant enough to think the Irish haven't done anything original is truly pathetic. 

  • @gaelscot What an ignorant statement to make. The Irish harp sits in the very heart of the culture. Get your facts right before pen comments that only succeed in making you look foolish.

  • awesome .. shivers all my back xD

  • Wait a minute. I have your CDs! I bought them a few years ago. I absolutely love them. Funny I found this video on youtube just now by accident haha!

  • @ker246 Hi there - thank you! It might be the band CDs you have? I have one more recent one which is just harp music. That was a lot of fun to make, although I recorded the entire CD in an ancient Welsh church and then decided it didn't have the right sound, so I scrapped it and did the whole thing again.

  • @MarkHarmer  beautiful.you playing the harp is just beautiful.

  • ahhh..that was very beautiful - thank you :)

  • I read a book called Carolan's Concerto. This sounds perfectly like the soundtrack I imagined while reading it. Well done :)

  • beautiful, so well done. thank you for posting

  • cant stop listening to that song... :)

  • My favorite string instrument. I'm trying to find a place where they sell these so I can learn my own.

  • ahhhhhh this is my fav O'Carolan.....you play it so beautifully...thankz!

  • wow, thats quite an expensive hobby. and i play electric guitar haha. amazing tunes dude. I'm 17 and I love this and i doubt there are many my age listening to this. true talent. its interesting that in some places you use a technique similar to counterpoint in jazz guitar. basically two leads at once. I wouldn't expect something so soothing and peaceful to have come from the Celts, considering they were some pretty brutal warriors to say the least. Peace and keep making awesome tunes.

  • @kweerb8 Thank you! And great to hear you like the music. Guitar's a lot of fun - I don't play but admire people who can. The Breton tunes are slightly wilder - I'll see if I can do one and post it.

  • @kweerb8 IRISH MUSIC COST NOTHING

  • @kweerb8 Umm, I think that more 17 year olds listen to this than you would assume, like myself! I find it pretty awesome!

  • @kweerb8 yeah im 18 and i too love this kind of music. well actually there are very few kinds of music that i dont like but anything like this i love :)

  • @kweerb8 I'm 16 years, and I second this! I love this music, and I'm an electric guitar player as well .... I like incorporating classical styles into my playing, as well, and counterpoint, that you mention it, is a technique I often employ as well .... in a very Brian May-esque way, the kind of sound that the band Queen has ... I would love to hear music like this to be more universally admired on much much higher levels!

    Nice arrangement, broseph! Stellar playing!

  • @kweerb8 I play the electric as well, and am also 17. I agree that this is beautiful music.

  • @kweerb8 This video (along with a couple of others) inspired me to start playing the harp on my 17th birthday.

  • @djypsydjazz Fab!! Go for it - it's just such a rewarding instrument. It sounds great even at the early stages of learning.

  • @kweerb8

    I'm 19 and I love this too!!! It is so enchanting and soothing.....:) I sure wish I could play an instrument like that....

  • @kweerb8

    yeah i'm 17 too... and I'm asian... but i love it...i love your music.... so harmonic...it makes my messy head relax a bit.. thanks for sharing a great music ^^

  • @kweerb8 I've been listening to this kind of music since I was 12 or 13, me being almost 19 now. I labsolutely love it! And I grew up on smooth jazz, so I definitely appreciate the calmer side of music,

  • fantastic music, I want to listen as many of these pieces as possible

  • this music resonates with my soul

  • Thanks Mark.. I just bought an i-Pod Nano, so I"ll download your cd as soon as I figure out how to operate the thing. Yes Northern California can be nice, but not so much the cities. I hike mostly in the mountains with my group Sacramento TrailMix. You can google them to see where we go. Youtube won't let me post a link. My last hike with them was to a place called Rockbound Pass. It's on the calendar page. I posted about 50 photos as John C.

  • Excellent rendition, very nice touch.

  • Thanks so much for this Beautiful piece Mark. Do you sell any CD's of your wonderful music, or can you recommend CD's of traditional Irish music, harp or otherwise. I am an avid hiker and when it is appropriate I love to listen to Irish music on the trails here in Northern California where I live

  • @guyfihi hi there - glad you like the music! California - I'm very envious!

    My CD can be downloaded from iTunes, or if you want to buy it as a physical CD and have me ship it to you, just send me a private message with your "regular" email address and where you live, and I can calculate shipping and email you a Paypal invoice.

  • The price including shipping to the US is usually £12.49 GBP - paypal will charge you the USD equivalent, which varies daily with international currency exchange rates. You'd be able to see the USD amount before committing to pay.

  • I have heard that tune called "Molly Halpin." Didn't know it was an O'Carolan! Thanks for posting--lovely playing.

  • @whistlingbadger Yes you are correct . The original Tune was written by William Conellan and entitled "Molly McAlpin" well spotted!.

  • Mark,

    I replied to this video years ago, but have since forgotten about it until today! Once again, amazing playing, very emotive...

  • I really love this arrangement. Great job, Mark.

  • props! major props! i will always give my highest respect to anyone who can play an instrument, as i myself can not play to save my life. though, i do draw, and paint, and all my inspiration comes from music, so, i guess in way i draw melodies, lol, but major props to you! i am now inspired, thank you!

  • It's not a harp, it's a Clarsach! well it is a harp but not really

  • @DimondsProductions Hi - I've never been sure but always thought a clarsach had wire strings. I always tell people it's a small harp - like a harp, only smaller!

  • Just beautiful, your music speaks to me.

  • Love your playing Mark... love this kind of music, I'm a big fan of Alan Stivell but... now there are two... Alan Stivell and Mark Harmer... love to see and hear more work of you; grtz from Belgium !!!

  • Hi Mark,

    I love this song it's so beautiful. I am thinking starting playing harp and I was planning to self teach myself. After watching you play it is even more inspiring. I know it might take me years to get even closer, but if I only play one song it will be my dream come true. I would love to know which books inspire you the most while were you learning how to play? Thanks Mark for this piece of inspiring beauty.

  • Beautiful interpretation Mark. It's always been one of my favortie O'Carolan pieces.

    I love the echoning harmonies in the 2nd half of the B-sect.

    Amy

  • Hi, I was wondering, are you a selftaught harpist? Cause I've been playing the harp for 12 years now and I've seen a lot of harpists play over the years. And what harp are you playing? It has a great sound!

  • @ElinNale HI there - yes, I did teach myself - hence the odd bad habit!! The harp is a Pilgrim clarsach, which has gut strings - nice to learn on because it's a very unforgiving harp if you don't play evenly. After learning on one of these, everything else I've played has seemed relatively easy - so I'm glad I put in the hours on this one. There are some more recent recordings of me playing a Ravenna 34 harp, which has nylon strings - a lot easier to play!

  • ty a privilage to listen to that

  • beautiful .

  • Hearing this after so long has made me cry.

    Taught by Mairin Ní Shé, this was my favourite piece to play. I adored it. That Ní Shé got an unmusical and impatient seven year old to play it by heart and with delicacy reflects her enormous talent as a teacher.

    I was one of her last pupils. I missed a note in a concert, and did a full glissando in rage. She leapt up at the end to scold me, tripped and broke a hip. She never taught again.

    Thank you to an astonishing teacher.

    Thank you for posting

  • Outstanding Interpretation!!! Youtube has far too many plunk, plunk renditions of O'Carolan with the basic tune, but zero imagination on how the Master must have been playing his own melodies. Kudos!!!

  • Comment removed

  • Pretty song.

    how do you do the trills in slow motion? could you make a vid just how to do the little trills?

    That would help me to learn the song

    Thank you.

  • lovely !

  • This is very beautiful. How much did your harp cost?

  • @yeaitskate334 This one was used, and it was about £1500 (British UK pounds - so you might have to check what that is in whatever currency you have). The strings, though, are quite expensive. A complete set is about £380 (again, British pounds), which is quite a lot of money for just strings!

  • I love the harp so much.

  • It's very pretty, but the sound is a bit harsh somehow.

  • @beaubrent Unfortunately, YouTube has mangled the sound a bit. If anyone wants a high-quality version just send me a message and I'll send you a link.

  • @MarkHarmer Lovely performance! I'm not a musician but, I am working on Celtic Freestyle Dressage routine and I need 4/4 (common time) music for the part where the horse walks, is this piece 4/4? If not can you point me to another one of your songs that is?

  • @tundranights Hi there - it is 4/4 - as far as I'm concerned anyway!

    You are welcome to use it if you like, or I'll send you an mp3

  • @MarkHarmer Thank you sir, I just bought this song off of ITunes, it goes together wonderfully with the horse's walk! I still have some work to do, but when I perform my routine, I'll post a link. Thanks again!

  • αγαπώ την μουσική σας ! συνεχίστε να δίνετε ομορφιά!

  • Simply great!

  • Beautiful and heavenly.

    It soothes the soul and brings to mind thoughts of love and peace.

    Thank you !

    ~~~ Chuck S

  • Just 2 harps in Portugal...my God, how can I live here?

  • First time I have heard the harp and it was so beautiful. I loved it and will enjoy listening to more of it.

  • love it

  • By the way pal, Just a note. You are brilliant!! I thank you for sharing your gift!!

    Best regards,

    Blaine

  • I like the crossover thing, that added a lot of depth. Well done!

  • im guess you wouldnt give out sheet music?

  • @ibanezxiphos700 Hi there - there is no sheet music. I arranged this having heard it elsewhere, so haven't written it down.

  • I love this sound, it has something like magic.

  • the music i wish for my funeral.love to all lovers:)

  • i love the harp, its so beautiful, i cant get enough of it. thanks for putting this on, its loverly.

  • MAGNIFICO!!

  • Sounds wonderful

    Like being in dream

    I like it a lot

    Thank you for sharing it

  • Sounds wonderful

    Like being in dream

    I like it a lot

    Thank you for sharing it

  • beautiful! i still have a LOT to learn.... *sigh*

  • beautiful.

  • It's such a blessing to have this on here. It really is. When I originally found this last year I was bad situations and stresses. This took my mind off all of it and I just focused on what is taking place now. And now tonight, I'm back again and it still settles me. Thank you.

  • hi mr harmer. you have done a great job. your version /arrangement is the best .it sounds so ancient and authentic. you caress mens souls. thank you very much . hail harmer from berlin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • great performance and great song

  • Gorgeous - keep it up Mark!