So rarely these days is there a solo harpist recital that it is easy to forget what an enchanting sound this instrument makes.
And Hannah Stone, official harpist to the Prince of Wales – whose wife, of course, opened The Pound – has the added attraction of being enchanting herself.
With a programme ranging from John Parry, the famous Blind Welsh Harper from the early 1700s, to Debussy and Taillferre of the late 20th Century, Miss Stone and a packed auditorium revelled in what amounted to a harpist’s showcase.
And, with the inclusion of something immediately familiar, though not generally seen as being from the harp repertoire, Clair de Lune, the beauty came down to earth.
The Introduction Cadenza and Rondo, by Elias Parish-Alvars, was played with a lyrical majesty. Its flowing, tuneful figures had the grace and charm of a Victorian drawing room concert.
Parry’s Sonata No 1, published as four new lessons for the harp (or harpsichord) had a tinkling, cut glass sound about it ideally suited to the Pound auditorium acoustic.
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