Autumn & Winter 2022

A highlight for me was performing at the Harp and Story Festival in Stroud, England. My show, Poetry, Prose and Harp inspired by Southern Scotland, took place at the Lansdown Hall. It was an opportunity to share some of my nature and season-inspired poems and also to perform some of my recent compositions. Many congratulations to Creag and Morwenna from the harp-makers Hands on Harps for organising this lovely festival.

It’s also been good to be back at favourite familiar venues as well as seeing new ones for the first time. Here are a few photos.

beside a roaring fire at Prestonfield, November 2022

Lansdown Hall, Stroud, England, October 2022

Summer of 2022

I can’t believe we are already mid August and (at least here in Scotland) the schools are now back. Here are a few photos of some lovely sunny days!

Wintery wedding

It was a delight to play at Neidpath Castle at the weekend. Thank you to those who helped me navigate the spiral stairs (rather a lot of them!) between the ceremony room and the place where the drinks reception was held in this fantastically atmospheric venue.

Cheval Edinburgh Grand

Lovely to play at a new (to me) venue. I was very impressed by the amazing staircase spiralling up in the lobby, also by the friendly staff. And of course, I should mention the huge Christmas tree and the Nutcrackers acting as doormen!

November 2021, at the Cheval Edinburgh Grand

November 2021, Upstairs at the Cheval Edinburgh Grand

Playing live again!

It was wonderful to be back playing live again today after such a long Covid-enforced break, and what a treat to be back at Prestonfield - one of my all-time favourite venues. This is in the Leather Room - notice the amazing wall coverings.

A River's Journey

Concert pianist, Brian Davidson recently recorded an “at home” performance of one of my compositions.

Astonishing space

I was performing last night at the wonderful space that is the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. I’ve been here so many times before, as a visitor to the gallery, but somehow it has a totally different atmosphere in the evening - truly magical. Above where I was playing is the famous wall fresco by William Brassey Hole, depicting figures from Scottish history. And way above that, the ceiling of the great hall is decorated with constellations of stars, embossed with gold leaf. Interestingly I was not the only harpist in the room. There was another painted on the wall.

Revisiting Songs from Luke

I enjoyed playing at St Mary’s, Haddington last weekend, alongside Isolde James-Griffith (soprano) and Matthew Todd (tenor). Lovely big venue and a friendly, enthusiastic audience!

Now on to rehearsals for the upcoming performance of “Songs from Luke” on Sunday 17th November at 3pm in Carlops Village Hall. I composed this piece back in 2013 and it was premiered back then under the baton of Tembu Rongong, with James Hutchinson as Gabriel (the tenor soloist). This is a new scaled-down version suitable for smaller venues. The large instrumental ensemble is replaced by piano and a single violin. The chorus and six soloists remain!

I am delighted that I will again be working with the wonderful Matthew Todd in the tenor role. The piece will be conducted by Murray Campbell.

I have loved re-visiting this work, with its libretto by Helen Rongong. A youthful optimism and joy pervades the music, and it is accessible and melodious throughout.

Do come along! Free entry.

A window at the top of the world

Played in the Jacobite Room at Edinburgh Castle last night. Amazing views of sunset over the city, as the light changed. Was even inspired to write a poem!

Arriving at the Jacobite Room, Edinburgh Castle, September 2019

An unimpressed pigeon and a scaled-down oratorio

I’ve been busy playing at lots of lovely weddings. What a treat to have had such good weather too - so lots of playing outside. A new venue for me this summer has been Branxholm Park Hotel in the borders, and then I’ve been back at Prestonfield quite a bit. The last time a peacock was putting on his full display in an attempt to dazzle a pigeon - who seemed to be (unlike myself and my family) singularly unimpressed!

Composition-wise, I was delighted to hear ‘Cantata for Saint Triduana’ come to life back in March. Thanks so much to all who were involved, and also to those who came to listen. I am currently polishing off a drastically scaled down version of my 2013 work ‘Songs from Luke’. The instrumental ensemble has been replaced by simple piano and violin, which makes the piece much more suitable for performances in small venues. The first performance of this new version will be on 17th November at 3pm in Carlops Village Hall, with local singers. Do come along!

Cantata for Saint Triduana

My new piece will be premiered on 23rd March at The City of Edinburgh Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh EH8 9BX, at 7pm by The Linton Singers under the baton of Murray Campbell.

Hit the ‘Composer: about’ tab to hear Hannah chatting about the project - both the music and also the inspiration behind the project and her collaboration with the poet Lynsay Downs.

From Quirky Saints to Love Island winners

I have had a busy couple of months. Bizarrely, in August my harp shared the stage with the recent 2018 winners of 'Love Island', a popular show that has been running on ITV. (I'm afraid I've never watched it but I didn't tell them that...) That was as part of the recent Edinburgh Television Festival, where I was delighted to have once again been asked to perform as part of the 'Sky Arts channel' exhibition stand. Alongside me was the super-talented and very personable Samira Addo, Portrait Artist of the Year 2018. She was busily painting the portraits of said winners. It was fascinating to speak with her and to watch her work. What a pleasure to meet such an interesting young woman.

Composing-wise I have recently finished my latest composition, a cantata (work for soloists, choir and orchestra) called 'Triduana'. I am excited that this will be premiered on 23rd March 2019 in central Edinburgh. The work is based on the life of a quirky saint, with libretto by Lynsay Downs.

I also have a couple of concerts coming up soon. You can catch me in the beautiful surroundings of Crichton Collegiate Church on Saturday 15th September, 5pm, performing alongside the Eternity Singers as part of a project by Edinburgh Christian Heritage. (Tickets on the door). The choral music will include works by Tallis, Bruckner and Mendelssohn. The same programme will be performed again at St Mary's in Haddington on 14th October at 4pm.

Instrumental at VOCAL

I played for such a lovely event last night that I felt I wanted to tell people about it. I was asked to play for a wonderful small charity called 'VOCAL'.

(And by the way, apologies for the title, I just couldn't resist the play on words!) The truth is that the instrumental ones are definitely the amazingly dedicated staff and volunteers at VOCAL.

VOCAL do brilliant work supporting carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian, and last night they were having a celebration to mark their entry into new premises on Leith Walk in Edinburgh. Although I always think of Leith Walk as being very busy and noisy, the new Edinburgh Carer's Hub is set back from the clamour of the street and even has a beautiful garden for carers to relax in. The event itself had a very special atmosphere - one of peacefulness, compassion, generosity and joy. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. The Chief Executive of the charity commented to me that amongst those people present in the room there were around 500 combined years of caring experience, and I think this came across clearly. What a privilege to be part of the celebrations!

Happy New Year 2018

Late last year I enjoyed playing the clarsach for a wedding at Edinburgh Castle and for a number of Christmas events, including two 'Contact the Elderly' parties. In December I also had the privilege of using my harp to accompany local school children in a performance of 'Walking in the Air' which was lovely. Since my last entry I've written a novel (a gentle comedy). Watch this space for further details.

Have a wonderful 2018!

Caught on camera this time!

Having written before about the peacocks at Prestonfield House, it seemed only right to include a picture this time, after playing for another gorgeous wedding there last Saturday.

From 360 degree TV to copper sculptures of mosquittos

I've recently enjoyed playing at familiar venues alongside some new discoveries. In August I was excited to be asked to perform as a soloist on the Sky Arts stage at the Edinburgh International Television Festival 2017. Other artists showcased included Calum Ingram, and Molly Keane (from Sky Arts 'Master of Photography' series). We were also treated to an impromptu piano performance by Channel 4's Jon Snow!

The Sky Arts stand was also demonstrating possible viewing options for the future, including 360 degree TV. You can see the gadgets on the table at the front of the photo. I did have a shot, but I have to confess it made me feel rather dizzy!

Tuning up at the Sky Arts Stand, International Television Festival 2017

International Television Festival 2017

I love playing for small family parties just as much as at more high-profile events, and it was lovely to be part of the silver-wedding celebrations of a wonderful couple in Stathaven a couple of weeks back. It was a busy day, as I then went on to play at an exhibition opening in the evening at the Dancing Light Gallery. I was lucky enough to listen in to Sue White Oakes speaking about her love of engineering and how this has influenced the development of her particular methods of working in copper to produce intricate and beautiful sculptures. I also leant that the methods used to make bronze casts of her work are almost as time-consuming and demanding as those involved in the production of the originals. It was absolutely fascinating, and I loved the way that nothing seemed to hold her back - if she wished to produce a particular effect in the metal, and was unable to do so because of the limitations of the available tools, she simply designed and made new tools and machinery to fit the bill! Fascinatingly, her original inspiration for a series of insect sculptures came from the conjunction of a desire to find a use for old copper piping, alongside the discovery of a dead beetle in her workshop.

In costume at Crichton

Herewith photos from the recital at Crichton Collegiate Church I wrote about in my blog entry yesterday. The concert was put on as part of Midlothian Heritage Week. A really lovely setting, great acoustic and also my first attempt at playing the harp in Medieval costume. I had to work out how to tie the sleeve ribbons so that they didn't get in the way!

The story-telling by Paul from Edinburgh Christian Heritage was a lovely touch, linking the music to the history and folk-lore of the area. The evening began with a booming and dramatic, "In the mists of time, fire formed Edinburgh and seven hills arose..." Exciting stuff!

In costume at Crichton, with Isolde James-Griffiths (soprano) and her husband, story-teller Paul James-Griffith (as Saint Cuthbert)

A little windswept before the performance!...

On Plant Paradises & Legends coming to life.

It's been the usual fun and busy round of summer events, with gorgeous weddings at Dunglas Estate, Norton House, Tuilibole Castle, Peebles Hydro & the Secret Herb Garden; celebrations at the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Pollock Halls and a fun musical send-off for a group of lovely would-be charity runners at Biggar bowling club.

The Secret Herb Garden in particular is an undiscovered little oasis for a less-formal small wedding or party, with weaving paths though a glass paradise filled with trailing leaves and hanging bunches of grapes. I absolutely loved it, and went back on a later date to admire all the plants and plan my herb purchases!

Enjoying the sunshine: setting up for a summer ceremony 

Alongside this there have been musical highlights for me on the composing / recital fronts: way back on 24th March I was privileged to play alongside Leon and Heather Coates and others in an atmospheric evening of music at St Mungo's Church in West Linton, in the Scottish Borders. Leon treated us to some beautiful solo piano music, and Heather and I gave the first performance of my recent work for harp and 'cello, 'Rondeau'. My plan is that eventually this will be a three movement work, with the 'Rondeau' being the finale. The first draft of the middle movement, entitled 'Breathing Space' is now also complete.

May saw both the first performance of my first musical, 'King David and the Stag' and also a beautiful summer evening's harp and voice recital at Crichton Collegiate Church, as part of Midlothian's heritage week. What a fantastic acoustic in a little-known gem of a building. I accompanied the soprano Isolde James-Griffith in a programme entitled 'Music Through the Ages' with music ranging from Rabbie Burn's 'My love is like a red red rose' and tunes from Turlough O'Carolan, to 'Lift Thine Eyes' by Mendelssohn and the awe-filling, 'Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silent'. We ended with the ever-popular and upbeat 'Highland Cathedral'. Isolde's husband, the story-teller, Paul James Griffith also used the acoustic to great advantage as he recounted the history and legends of the area.

It was wonderful to see and hear 'King David' come to life, and for the wonderful local performers to be so confident and clearly enjoying themselves that I treated myself to joining the back row of the chorus in the performance.

The article in the Peebleshire News, earlier this year, when 'King David and the Stag' was still a vision rather than a reality!

The very talented Brian Davidson (piano) accompanied a chorus of local singers, both adults and children, and the show was complete with costumes, props and a beautiful forest mural painted by local artists Charlie Welsh and Debs McHaffie.

We were joined by guest soloists Matthew Todd (tenor); Philip Todd (baritone); Tembu Rongong (baritone) and Janet McKenzie (Soprano) for a fun afternoon show, retelling the Scottish legend behind the founding of Holyrood Abbey. For those not familiar with the tale, I've included the synopsis here:

At Norton House, summer 2017

Whilst out hunting in the forest with his friends in around 1127, King David 1st of Scotland became separated from the rest of his party. He fell from his horse and was charged by a stag. As he raised his hands in an attempt to defend himself from the beast's antlers, he had some kind of mystical experience. Accounts vary as to the exact nature of this - but he either 'saw' or 'felt' (or both) the cross of Christ. Amazingly, King David was able to return home completely unscathed.

King David had been advised earlier in the day by his spiritual advisor, Alkwine, not to go hunting, because it was the “Feast of the Holy Cross”. (Presumably this special day came with concomitant duties with which he was supposed to busy himself and/or with activities/entertainments which were supposed to be abstained from). Perhaps, given the circumstances, David could have interpreted his fall as being sent by nemesis to reprimand him for a supposed misdemeanour. But thankfully grace doesn’t work like that: instead, he was vouchsafed a profound, uplifting and deeply-moving (if, admittedly rather strange!) experience. In order to celebrate this, and also what he considered to be his miraculous escape, at Alkwine’s suggestion, King David founded Holyrood Abbey in 1128.

Most of the songs concern King David. However, we also decided to go back, before King David's time, to his parents: mostly because I wanted to have a strong female character and we found that in David's mother, Queen Margaret. So near the start of the mini-musical, we are introduced to this young woman, born in Hungary, with whom King Malcolm of Scotland falls head-over-heels in love. As queen, we envisage she was rather busy - running soup kitchens in the palace, caring for orphans, organising ferry-crossings for pilgrims to Dunfermline Abbey ... besides having 2 step-children and 8 more of her own...

Drinks Reception, May 2017

On being scrutinised by professors from the past

I can't believe it's February already.

Christmas was busy. One of the highlights was again playing for 'Contact the Elderly'. The Edinburgh branch of this charity has now expanded so much that to accommodate all their guests they needed two separate parties, on consecutive Sundays. If you haven't come across contact the elderly before, it does great work, organising regular tea-parties for folk who live on their own. This often results in firm friendships.

Each year they have a Christmas extravaganza (although this year it was two!). I have been lucky enough to be going along to play for these parties every year since December 2012. It's lovely to see the familiar faces again, and to have fun entertaining the guests with my harp and singing some carols together.

More recently, it was great to play at the Playfair Library (Old College, University of Edinburgh) again last week. The scale of the room, and of the whole place, still surprises me, even after all this time (my first gig there must have been well over a decade ago).

In the library itself, it's always fun (but also slightly nerve-wracking) to imagine that I am being scrutinised by various eminent professors and thinkers from the past. In fact, it's hard not to have this sense, as throughout the vast hall there are busts on plinths of various noteworthy scholars. They all look rather imposing!

At the Playfair Library, January 1017

On the composing front I have been busy. The mini-musical now has a name: 'The Legend of King David and the stag'. Now I need to get on with organising the first performance!

In January I also wrote a piece for 'cello and harp called 'Rondeau', which has (as all rondo's do!) a theme that recurs throughout the piece, interspersed with different musical material. My main theme is supposed to sound a bit like a child's wind-up musical box.

Masked Balls, Bells and Mini-Musicals

My last few performances have been at Assembly Roxy, Melville Castle, The George Hotel and St Peter's RC Church in Morningside. Quite a variety there!

I've played at Melville Castle and the George Hotel (now re-named 'The Principal') many times over the years, but Assembly Roxy and St Peter's were new to me. The gig at Assembly Roxy was a themed masked ball for a 30th birthday party (what fun!). What really struck me about the venue was how incredibly friendly and helpful the staff were.

The building itself is a converted church, and it retains some of that atmosphere - I love looking at all the old plaques on the wall and imagining the people who would have worked and worshipped there in the past.

St Peter's was lovely. One notable thing about the wedding that I played for at St Peter's, last weekend, was that rather than the ceremony beginning with the familiar words, 'can everyone please stand for the entrance of the bride', the service began with no words at all, just the simple chiming of a bell. That was my cue to begin the Bridal March. It was a lovely gentle start to a beautiful ceremony.

A wee composing update:

I am in the process of polishing off my historical mini-musical. This has been so much fun to do. I don't yet have a title, so my husband (who wrote the words) and I are still thinking on that one. The piece is scored for choir and piano, and there are a few solos amongst the other numbers. Ideally I'd love to perform it with a children's choir. Watch this space.

The full symphonic version of my 2016 score 'This is My Beloved' is now complete, and I am looking forward to a future performance by the Sydney Contemporary Orchestra in Australia.

A small extract of this work (re-scored, for oboe, organ, choir and clarsach) will form part of a special service this Sunday, at St James' Church in Pennicuik, under David McGavin. I went to hear the choir rehearse last Thursday, and it was so special to begin to hear the music take shape and come to life.