minstrel: Lap Harps

[Tibicen at carolingia.org]

Tangwystyl asks:

Do you know what "flavor" of early harp playing [AL-K's] working with?
(I.e., metal vs. gut, brayed or not, etc.)

I don't know to what style book pertains, but he himself uses both
metal and gut, both small lap harps and big floor harps (including a
nifty late-period brass-strung harp of willow, the sound box of which
was hollowed out of a single trunk which has the most brilliant
sound), brays & non-bray, single and double(!).  And the occasional
psaltry.  I've heard him do medieval material, but I understand these
days he's focusing on late-period and post-period spanish music for
the double harp.

Note, that contrary to the you-only-can-play-either-wire-or-gut
theory, I have seen him swap back and forth in concert.  I asked him
about that, and he said said he grew his nails on one hand and not the
other.  *shrug*  Maybe he was pulling my leg.

-- Tibicen



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