Lever harps are perfect for outdoor weddings, Celtic events, fairs and festivals.  The Wenge harp is made by Dusty Strings in Washington State, and is made of African Wenge wood, giving it an amazing fullness of sound.  These harps are called “lever harps” because small levers at the top of the harp are used to change the pitch of the strings. 

The Swan harp has the same spruce soundboard and premium gut strings as my orchestra harp.  The sound samples on the Listen page were recorded with the Swan harp, as well as my CD, “Passing Feeling.”  This harp is made of bubinga, an African wood that gives each note a clear, ringing tone.  These harps are called “lever harps” because small levers at the top of the harp are used to change the pitch of the strings.  The Swan is the only harp that goes to the beach!

The Laurel Leaf harp is a tall harp with the same classic  shape as an Orchestra harp.  It’s made of maple and decorated with a thin layer of 22kt gold leaf over carved vines.  It also has a spruce soundboard and gut strings, giving it the same sound as the Orchestra harp. 

I also have a beautiful wire-strung harp made of bubinga.  The wire strings are quite different in tone from the gut strings on the other three harps, and are uniquely suited to Celtic and Medieval music, and Christmas carols.  The Koi decorating the Luna represent good fortune.

My repertoire is similar for all harps, with considerations for the tone quality and chromatic abilities of the respective instruments.  The orchestra harp is a large, heavy instrument suited for highly chromatic music and frequent key changes, such as you would find in symphony music. The pitch of the strings is changed by discs at the top of the harp that are connected to seven foot pedals. This is why the orchestra harp is also called a pedal harp. My orchestra harp is a Venus Premier model.