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Harp Day
“It is music that lightens the heart of man
And sweetens every sorrow.”
~ Traditional
Not only is it World Bagpipes Day, its softer musical companion, the harp, is also celebrated on this day. This beautiful tartan evokes the warm wood of the harp’s frame—whether the smaller folk harp of the Highlands and Ireland or the gleaming golden concert harps of modern orchestras—with fine lines suggesting the many shimmering strings..
In medieval Scotland and Ireland, harpers held an elite professional status. They were part of the learned bardic tradition, along with poets and historians.
A harper might:
* perform ceremonial music for clan chiefs
* preserve genealogies and stories
* compose praise songs for patrons
* accompany recitations of heroic poetry
The tradition survived particularly strongly in the Hebrides and western Highlands, where Gaelic culture remained vibrant for centuries.
The harp even became the national symbol of Ireland, appearing on coins, official seals, and the modern Irish coat of arms.
Among the most beloved figures in this tradition is Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738), the blind Irish harper who traveled from household to household composing tunes in honor of his patrons. His melodies—such as Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór and Carolan’s Concerto—blend ancient Gaelic harp style with the influence of European Baroque music. Earlier still were famous hereditary harpers such as Rory Dall O'Cahan in Ireland and Rory Dall Morrison in Scotland, both celebrated for their skill and their compositions.
The ancient Celtic harp, known in Scottish Gaelic as the clàrsach and in Irish as the cláirseach, was quite different from the modern gut- or nylon-strung folk harp. These medieval instruments had metal strings (usually brass, bronze, or iron), which produced a bright, bell-like tone that could ring for a very long time. Because the strings sustained so strongly, players developed unique techniques to control resonance and shape melodies.
By the 18th century, the old Gaelic harp tradition began to decline due to the collapse of the clan system and political upheaval and the rise of violin and keyboard instruments.
Fortunately, the iharp experienced a revival in the late 19th and 20th centuries, leading to the modern Celtic harp movement and the rediscovery of ancient techniques. 🤎 💛 🖤 🤎 🎶 🎶 🎶
Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738) was one of the most famous Irish harpists and composers in history and is often described as the last great bardic harper of Ireland. Born in 1670 in Nobber, County Meath, he moved as a child with his family to Ballyfarnon in County Roscommon, where his father worked for the MacDermott Roe family, members of the Gaelic aristocracy who helped preserve Irish cultural traditions during a time of political change in Ireland.
At about eighteen years old, O'Carolan contracted smallpox, which left him blind. Rather than ending his prospects, this turning point shaped the course of his life. Mrs. MacDermott arranged for him to study the Irish harp, the prestigious instrument of the Gaelic bardic tradition. After several years of instruction, she provided him with a harp, a horse, and a guide, enabling him to travel the Irish countryside as a professional harper.
For nearly fifty years, O'Carolan travelled throughout Ireland performing for noble families, composing music in their honor, and continuing the fading tradition of the wandering Gaelic bard. In earlier centuries, harpers and poets held high status in Irish society, but by the late seventeenth century the old Gaelic order had largely collapsed. Travelling musicians such as O'Carolan helped preserve much of Ireland’s musical heritage during this period.
Many of his compositions were written as tributes to patrons and friends. These pieces often carry the names of the people they honored and are known as “planxties,” a term thought to refer to a praise composition or musical tribute. Well-known examples include Planxty Irwin, Planxty Kelly, Planxty Burke, and Planxty George Brabazon.
O'Carolan’s music is distinctive because it blends older Gaelic harp traditions with influences from European Baroque music. Through his contact with the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, he became familiar with the works of continental composers and incorporated elements of their style into his own compositions. This combination of traditional Irish melody with more structured harmonic ideas gives his music a unique character within the Celtic repertoire.
Many stories about O'Carolan survive in Irish folklore. He was remembered as witty, sociable, and fond of good company. One well-known tale recounts a musical challenge with the visiting Italian violinist Francesco Geminiani. After hearing Geminiani perform, O'Carolan reportedly composed Carolan’s Concerto overnight in the Italian style, demonstrating both his creativity and his ability to absorb new musical influences.
O'Carolan died in 1738 at the home of the MacDermott family near Alderford in County Roscommon. According to tradition, he composed one of his final pieces, Carolan’s Farewell to Music, toward the end of his life.
Today he is remembered as a central figure in Irish traditional music and as a bridge between the ancient Gaelic harp tradition and the musical styles of eighteenth-century Europe. Many of his melodies—including Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór, Eleanor Plunkett, and Carolan’s Dream—remain widely performed by harpists and traditional musicians around the world.
A few O’Carolan tunes are often noted for having a Scottish flavor in rhythm or melodic structure. These include:
Carolan’s Welcome
Carolan’s Draught
Madam Maxwell
Lord Inchiquin
Some scholars have pointed out that the lilting rhythms and phrase structures in certain pieces resemble Scottish strathspeys or airs, though they are still firmly within the Irish tradition.
For more history of the Celtic harp, click the harp!