minstrel: harps in England

[Blue]

The Early Music Shop in London does indeed focus on recorders - I was there 
last year for a recorder, downstairs however they did have a small range of 
instruments, including lutes and a clavichord, and one sad looking little 
harp clearly in need of some attention. They will happily order items from 
the Bradford shop for you to view in the London branch with no obligation 
however, they arranged for me to try out some gemshorns (gorgeous things 
but sadly the best one was beyond my budget and had to remain in the shop!).

In London there is Clive Morley harps, their website is 
www.morleyharps.com, according to the website visiting the London showroom 
is by appointment only but you can view the harps and use their practice 
room, it seems.

I had thought that Pilgrim Harps (www.pilgrim.co.uk) were London based but 
it appears not, they do an excellent mail order service for sheet music 
which I have used and are very helpful over the phone.

There are a number of independant harp makers throughout the UK who do not 
advertise much, and of course there is Ardival Harps in Scotland, maker of 
wonderful wire-strung instruments.

Blue

At 11:17 11/03/02 +0000, Barbara Webb wrote:

> > I'm fairly certain that I was given a link to a shop in England (possibly
> > London?) that I really liked the look of, but I can no longer find it.
>
>You may well be thinking of the Early Music Shop: www.e-m-s.com
>Their main branch is in Bradford but there is also a shop in London,
>however I think this focuses on selling recorders and doesn't necessarily
>stock all their other instruments. They do mail order as well, so you
>don't have to rely on someone going there. If you are actually looking to
>buy a medieval harp, I can recommend the Renaissance Workshop's "weekender
>harp" kit: www.renwks.com