File:The orchestra and its instruments (1917) (14595834400).jpg

Identifier: orchestraitsinst00sing (find matches)
Title: The orchestra and its instruments
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Singleton, Esther, d. 1930
Subjects: Orchestra Musical instruments
Publisher: New York : The Symphony society of New York
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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he touches with her fair hands thetrembling strings. She stops. They take the harpthemselves, but cannot find the sound they admired.Why, they ask does it not answer us? Show us thestring where dwells the song. She bids them searchfor it till she returns. Their little fingers wander amongthe wires. There was hardly a household of theHighland chieftains which did not have bard, orharper; and in many old castles the harpers seat,the harpers window, or the harpers galleryis shown with pride to visitors. Playing the harp was a general accomplishment. George Buchanan, in his History of Scotland, pub-lished in 1565, says the people delight very muchin music, especially in harps, of their own sort, someof which are strung with brass wire and some withintestines of animals. They play on them eitherwith their nails grown long, or with a pectrum. Theironly ambition seems to be to ornament their harpswith silver and precious stones. The lower ranks,instead of gems, deck theirs with crystal. They
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HARP OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY King David THE HARP 287 sing poetical compositions celebrating the exploits oftheir valiant men. Their language is that of theancient Gauls, a little altered. In England the harp was a regal accomplishment,and every gentleman as well as prince could sing tothe harp and play his own accompaniment. Everyone knows how King Alfred, who was a fine musi-cian, explored the Danish camp in the guise of aminstrel. AH the early literature of England is fullof allusions to the harp and harp-playing. The harpalways appeared at ceremonies. For instance, in 1413,at the Coronation of Henry V, the harmony of theharpers drawn from the instruments struck with therapidest touch of the fingers, note against note, andthe soft, angelic whisperings of their modulations,were gratifying to the ears of the guests. In 1251 the new coinage of Ireland was stampedin Dublin with the impression of the Kings head ina triangular harp. The arms of Leinster on a fieldvert, a harp, or string

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