Ave Maria

[Bidyyy]

very nice............!!!!

[dholeton]

@Bidyyy

Thank You Ernest and Sarah

Best wishes from Tennessee

Dave

[kevintheblacksmith]

very nice !!!

[dholeton]

@kevintheblacksmith

Thanks Kevin

[rzdulc1]

Wow, Dave, that was great!!

[dholeton]

@rzdulc1

Thanks Ron

I try to play this once a week in one way or another and almost always on Sundays. I missed it today since I had to travel. I'll play it twice when I get back home.

Dave

[DianeKY]

BRAVO!! clapping. Dave could you send me the pdf file for that? you have my email addy. Thanks, DianeKY

[dholeton]

@DianeKY

Thanks Diane

Please let me know if you did not receive the email I sent. It had some pdf file attachments and sometimes those emails either don't get through the email system or land in the spam folder.

Dave

[bowedpsaltery]

Just search Celeste Ray, nearly 45,000 views!

[synthezer]

Thats the Unicorn Strings Celtic model. I have one the same. I have had for about 23 or 24 years. Awesome instrument. and 2 bowing. Good for you keep it up.

[dholeton]

@synthezer

Thank You Synthezer

It sounds like my psaltery is not quite as old as your psaltery since I got it somewhere between 1992-1994. The one I have has held up well over the years.

Thanks

Dave

[bowedpsaltery]

Nicely done!

What is the make of your Psaltery?

I'm Celeste Ray - have you seen "The Fairy Dance" on YouTube?

[dholeton]

@bowedpsaltery

Thank You Celeste

I'm playing a Unicorn Strings psaltery I obtained at the Renaissance Festival in Colorado somewhere between 1992 and 1994.

There are many videos with titles like Fairy Dance. I viewed a few of the videos and the ones I viewed are very pretty and mystical. Where can I find The Fairy Dance related to your question?

Thanks

Dave

[im1lostdragon]

That's the soprano? Well played! (clapping) :)

[dholeton]

@im1lostdragon

Thank You. As for the psaltery being a soprano I'm not sure. Some luthier's have smaller psalteries that they call sopranos and the psalteries they build that are about the size of the one I play they call a tenor. Regardless of the category or name, they are a great instrument to learn to play.

Dave

[thoeckel]

Dave, can you tell me where I could find a tab for Ava Maria? This song is made to be played on a psaltery!

Thanks, Trish

[dholeton]

@thoeckel

Trish

I arranged a pdf file with the notes that might work to help learn the melody for Ave Maria. As far as I know, You Tube doesn't allow pdf attachments. YT also doesn't allow email addresses in the comments section but it does allow them in the song descriptions and on user homepages. You can find my email on YT and send an email to me and I will reply with the pdf file and some notes for how it might be used for learning Ave Maria on a bowed psaltery.

Thanks

Dave

[thoeckel]

Dave, is that you playing the psaltery? Wow!!! 

[dholeton]

@thoeckel

Yes, it's me. I had to put the camera on the tripod I usually use for the psaltery stand, so I arranged a music stand with a book (or is it The Book?) for holding the psaltery while playing with both bows.

Thanks

Dave

[thoeckel]

That was just beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent!

[dholeton]

@thoeckel

Thanks Trish

[Ghostshepard]

This is so beautiful it made me cry. The psaltery truly is the intrument of the angels!

[dholeton]

@Ghostshepard

Thank you Ghost

You made my day today. It is truly great for me to receive such a comment. I don't know what else to say except thank you!.

Dave

[lucyedinburgh]

Thank you. That was marvelous. I didn't know other people actually played anymore, it is an ancient instrument and I was shocked to see how many videos there are. I just uploaded a video of me practicing and I found you guys! I might get as good as you someday if I practice enough. I love the challenge of trying to make it sound just right.

[dholeton]

@lucyedinburgh Thanks Lucy

Keep practicing and oh yeah, there are a lot of us out here. There also is a website just for psaltery players. Search for psaltery strings and you'll find it. Several psaltery luthiers have their own sites that show psalteries are alive and well also including ringing strings and westman instruments to name a couple. Plenty of support for making it sound just right.

Good Luck

Dave

[mollificent]

*sigh* so gorgeous...

[dholeton]

Thanks Molly

It has become important for me to play Ave Maria once a week in one way or another.

Dave

[BardofCornwall]

Lovely. Thanks for posting.

[daehletam666]

cool and pretty well done

[dholeton]

Thanks Daehletam

Dave

[yankeegurl62]

Music like this stirs' one's soul...Thank you so much for sharing!! What an amazing instrument this is!! I can't wait until I too can play one. Such Heavenly music!!

[dholeton]

Thanks Judy...An event or two in my life similar to your Chris's Battle in your life motivated me to learn Ave Maria.

Dave

[yankeegurl62]

Isn't it amazing, how things, horrible things, like what happened to you in your life, and what happened to my dear sister, how they can cause one to stop and pause. Life is so sweet, and many times, much, much to short. Thank you dear friend, for the sound of your wonderful and very awesome gift from God. May the Lord bless you! Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future!! God bless

[LizardKirai]

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing your talents with us. I'm inspired to learn the psaltery now.

[dholeton]

Thanks Maj...Learning to play a musical instrument (or two or three) has taken me places in my life that I can't easily explain. I'll just say if you are serious about learning to play an instrument, I hope you experience some of the same rewards. You'll know what I mean if you get there.

Good Luck

Dave

[dholeton]

Thank you lince2002....The instrument is a bowed psaltery and some say it emerged from the Renaissance and some say it did not. Ave Maria is one of my favorite songs on the psaltery.

Dave

[dulcimerer]

gorgeous

[dholeton]

Thanks Nancy

[dulcajack]

Wonderful Job!! So Beautiful!

Thanks

Jack

[dholeton]

Jack....Some people might call it a curse but I call it a blessing. Events in life drew me to Ave Maria and I play it or sing it once a week. It helps me with the events.

Thanks

Dave

[Pigglies]

Incredible! This must be the best bowed psaltery video on YouTube so far.

[dholeton]

Thanks Valerie.....Ave Maria is an important song for me and I don't play out as often as I used to, so putting it here allowed me a place to share it.

Dave