One of the greatest charms of Vancouver's Winter Harp is their love of unusual instruments. This year, the combination harp, song and story group will return to the Raven's Cry Theatre in Sechelt on Sunday, Nov. 28, for an afternoon performance.
There will be a mixture of favourite songs such as What Child is This? and The Huron Carol that Winter Harp fans will recognize from previous concerts, and they also will add new material.
"The sound we're trying to recreate is medieval," said musician Joaquin Ayala. "It's so much mellower than modern music."
The sound also works well with harps, the group's centrepiece. Ayala should know. He's enthusiastic about ancient instruments and he's a key player in Winter Harp. He started his career tangentially through the church where he studied piano and organ then became familiar with the harpsichord.
This year he had one of those magical experiences that musicians will understand. He bicycled the entire centuries-old pilgrim trail, 850 kilometres, across northern Spain, to the pilgrimage's goal, the great 12th century cathedral of Santiago. One of his ambitions was to view the stone carving on the cathedral's apex that featured an instrument that could be as old as the sixth century, the organistrum. At concerts, Ayala plays the instrument, which looks much like a heavier, intricately carved guitar. The one he uses is, of course, a replica made by a famous luthier, Edward Turner, who also makes harpsichords. Yet each modern organistrum that is made - and there aren't that many - are an exact duplicate of the one seen in this cathedral's stone frieze.
When Ayala arrived at the cathedral, to his great regret, scaffolding covered the stonework while workers meticulously restored it. He sat, dejected, below the tarps until a young priest came along. When Ayala explained that his quest had been to see this famous carving, the priest gave him a hard hat and took him up the scaffolding to view it close up.
"It was an incredible opportunity," Ayala said. "Most people would see it only by looking up from a distance."
He also plays the nyckelharpa, which has a sound that reminds the listener of a hurdy gurdy, and the psaltery, a tall triangular instrument played with two bows. Winter Harp have one of the few in existence, and Ayala solos on it.
Although instruments, especially the classical and Celtic harps, are the mainstay of the performance, there are usually many stories and poems recited by a narrator that invoke the spirit of Christmas time. The group's harpist, Lori Pappajohn, said many long-time fans have asked to have flute again, so this year Jeff Pelletier will join them. He plays flute and alto flute with its soft, haunting sound that so eloquently suggests moonlight and snow. He also plays the wooden piccolo, which sounds like a medieval fife. It's featured in some medieval tunes where it dances and sings, along with the nyckelharpa, drum and tambourine.
Also new to the show this year are some carols. One of them is the haunting 500-year-old Down in Yon Forest. Another discovery this year is Fields Beneath Snow that features harps, psaltery and alto flute weaving a musical portrait of a wintery English landscape. For Celtic music lovers, Lord Galway's Lamentation is set in the dark of the year, featuring powerful singing and drumming.
Next Sunday's show starts at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 available at WindSong Gallery, Gaia's Fair Trade or Shanti Gifts. See www.winterharp.com for more details.
