Adopting Harps

Home again after a long road trip!

Like adopting a new puppy from a rescue organization, shelter or breeder, each harp comes with a fragment of a story and a bit of mystery. Since I began renting harps, My husband, our dog Sagan and I have picked up four harps and counting.

Cary Harp – Troubadour 1

Last January, a gentleman in Cary contacted me about selling his wife’s Troubadour harp. She had played the harp for about 10 years and they brought the harp along with them from the DC area when the relocated to Cary.   Subsequently, the harp remained un-played for several years. Ready to sell the instrument, he called me to see if I had any interest in purchasing it.  And thus, I purchased my first rental harp!

“Sun Tan Harp” – Troubadour 1

The second harp came to me from Virginia. A woman purchased it in the mid 1970s and played regularly for a few years. She kept detailed records and accounts of her lessons.  Apparently she paid $5 per lesson!  In today’s dollars…?

The harp eventually ended up in the hands of a gentleman who got it from a friend at church as a thank you gift. He outfitted the harp with new strings and looked for a buyer through the classifieds.

The week I purchased this harp, his newest grandson was born on the coast of North Carolina. He packed the harp along with the baby gifts and we (myself, husband and our dog) drove to the coast to pick up the harp.

It must have been placed near a window for several years because one side of the harp is a warm cherry brown color, while the other side is light and golden.

“Grace’s Harp” – Troubadour 2

This harp came from Greensboro. My friend and duo partner rented it to her students for years, but no longer needing the rental harp in her studio, passed it along to me to begin another brand new harpist on the harp.

“Henrico Harp” – Troubadour 1

While I was at the American Harp Society Conference in Atlanta, my husband dedicated an entire day to go to northern Virginia to pick up this harp from a fellow who mostly deals audio equipment. ‘Audio Joe’ found the harp at a church in northern Virginia.

2015/16 Winter News: November-January

This winter I will be performing in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro and Newton, NC with the NC Harp Duo, NC Harp Ensemble and my first full performance of the Nutcracker. Check out the schedule below and I hope to see you at a performance or two!

Starting in January, I will be expanding my studio to Cary, NC where I will teach harp lessons from Leechford Music Studios near downtown Cary.  Contact me today to reserve your spot at the Cary Studio! Leigh is accepting new students of all ages.

NC Harp Ensemble’sHoliday Concert 

Nov 22, 2015, 3pm at NC Art Museum | Free Admission!

13 Harpists will gather at the NC Museum of Art to play your holiday favorites. Founded in 2010, the NC Harp Ensemble provides professional ensemble instruction for harpists of all ages and skill levels – beginning, intermediate, advanced and professional. Conducted by Jacquelyn Bartlett, Professor of Harp and Chamber Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the ensemble rehearses from September through April at UNCSA in Winston-Salem, NC. 

The Nutcracker

presented by Triangle Youth Ballet & Nutrcracker Virtuosi

Dec 5-12 at Chapel Hill High School and Carolina Theater | Tickets $10-$27

This will be my first full run of the Nutcracker Ballet. Tchaikovsky wrote a fabulous harp part complete with one of the best known harp cadenza’s in the Waltz of the Flowers. This performance is a collaboration between the Triangle Youth Ballet and the Nutcracker Virtuosi conducted by Andrew McAfee. 

NC Harp Ensemble on Tour

Dec 13, 2015, Greensboro, NC | Free Admission

After special requests from the Greensboro community, The NC Harp Ensemble will return to Greensboro this winter for it’s annual holiday concert and will feature harp quartet, violin and piano! Stay tuned for more details!

NC Harp Duo & Friends

Bach’s Lunch N’ Listen, Newton-Conover Auditorium, Newton, NC

Dec 18, 12pm-1pm | Tickets $12

The NC Harp Duo with special guests, will return to Newton, NC for a second appearance on the Bach’s Lunch N’ Listen program for an intimate showcase of your favorite Christmas music. Tickets will be available soon.