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The Harp's Journey, with Catrin Finch

The Harp's Journey, with Catrin Finch: Episode 3

Catrin Finch: Travels with my Harp

Episode 3

BBC Radio 3 - The Harp's Journey, with Catrin Finch, Episode 3

Catrin Finch's travels take an adventurous turn as she shows the harp in new territories.

Catrin Finch's travels take her to new territories, as she talks about her collaboration with kora player Seckou Keita and shows how the harp is moving in many new directions.

One of our oldest instruments, the harp has a long and noble history attached to it. From ancient Egypt, to troubadours and princely courts, the harp has held audiences captive over centuries.  The harp has constantly evolved and adapted as a response to changing musical environments, from something that existed in almost every ancient culture, to a versatile and sophisticated instrument.  Instantly recognisable, the concert harp's gilded beauty proudly announces its presence, yet beyond the glamour of its appearance, and a prominent position in the modern orchestra, it remains still one of the least well known instruments in the classical world. 

As a touring musician, Catrin Finch has encountered music from the classical world and a host of other traditions. All of them have helped to shape her thinking and her knowledge of her instrument. In this three-part series the acclaimed virtuoso shares her insights, taking us on a surprising and a very personal journey.

Catrin’s passionate about pushing the boundaries of what the harp can sound like, and taking it into new territory.  In the third part of her series she celebrates the eclecticism of her instrument, and she looks at the work of others who are doing the same. She talks about her remarkable collaboration with kora player Seckou Keita, and we discover how through their work together, her musicianship has evolved in a completely new direction. We hear how the harp has moved successfully into jazz, and how folk musicians are finding a new musical language in a traditional setting.  At the cutting edge of experimentalism, we find the harp being pushed to its limits by harpist Rhodri Davies, and we hear how Philip Glass's music is finding new audiences through Lavinia Meijer’s recordings. 
With music from: 

Glass, arr Meijer: Etudes no 9 
Lavinia Meijer, harp 

Hubbard: Little Sunflower 
Dorothy Ashby, harp 
Orchestra conducted by Richard Evans 

Metheny, Mays:  “James” 
Catrin Finch, harp 
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, 
Jody K Jenkins, percussion, 
Laurence Cottle, bass guitar, 
Jody Jenkins, Paul Clarvis, percussion
Karl Jenkins, conductor 

Caplet: Conte fantastique   
Emanuel Ceysson, harp 
Quatuor Voce 

Finch, Keita: Clarach 
Seckou Keita, kora
Catrin Finch, harp 

Maya Youssef: Bombs turn into roses 
Maya Youssef qanun
Barney Morse-Brown, cello 
Sebastian Flaig, percussion 

Berio: Sequenza II for harp 
Frédérique Cambreling, harp 

Trad, arr. Calan: Yr Eneth Ga’dd ei Gwrthod 
Calan  

Sally Beamish: Seavaigers  
I: Storm 
Catriona Mackay , harp 
Chris Stout, fiddle  
Scottish Ensemble   

Each clear and sudden drop is itself 
Rhodri Davies, harp 

Carlos Rojas: Quita pesares    
Cimarrón
Catrin Finch, harp 

Producer Johannah Smith for BBC Wales

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

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Catrin Finch shares her insights, taking us on a surprising and a very personal journey.

In this three-part series, the acclaimed virtuoso Catrin Finch shares her insights, taking us on a surprising and a very personal journey.

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