Gilpin County – The Friends of Gilpin County gave the county an early holiday gift by sponsoring a concert of harp music on December 17, 2024, at the Gilpin Library. A sizable crowd braved the snow and cold to be mesmerized by harp virtuoso...
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A smiling harpist
Harpist Kathryn Harms prior to performing at the Holiday Concert at the Gilpin Library.
The intricacy of a harp
The top section of a harp that shows how the strings are attached.
The sound of music
Harpist Kathryn Harms performing Christmas music at the Holiday Concert at the Gilpin Library.
GILPIN COUNTY – The Friends of the Gilpin County Public Library gave the county an early holiday gift by sponsoring a concert of harp music on December 17, 2024, at the Gilpin Library.
A sizable crowd braved the snow and cold to be mesmerized by harp virtuoso Kathryn Harms, who performed Christmas medleys and harp solos on her favorite harp—named Satine—for over an hour.
Harms is a faculty member at Colorado State University and has performed professionally with the Denver Symphony Orchestra and Central City Opera. She started playing the harp in the third grade as a result of the inspiration of an elementary school music teacher, and ever since, it has been her lifelong passion to play and teach harp.
The program began with a Christmas medley that included “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” This was followed by a rendition of the “Polar Express” that was arranged for harp by Catherine Rogers. A harp solo called “Walking in the Air” highlighted the wonderful range of notes and lyrics that can be generated by these 47-string instruments.
The middle section of the program featured some Celtic Christmas carols and another Christmas medley that included “Good King Wenceslas.”
The final piece was a riff on “Clair de Lune” called “Clair de Noel.” Harms ended with a rendition of “Silent Night.”
Between pieces, Harms answered a variety of questions from the audience regarding the harp and how it is played. She explained how the strings are constructed (metal, gut, and nylon), how the pedals work, how she strengthens her hands to pluck the strings, and how she transports Satine around to different performances.
Harms has a studio in Boulder and teaches harp to students of all ages, starting as young as seven. Anyone interested in learning to play the harp can visit her website at kathrynharms.com and fill out a request form.
The Friends of the Gilpin County Public Library is a nonprofit that promotes special programs at the library like the holiday concert, along with regular offerings like the weekly Children’s Storytime and Craft Hour. Their next meeting will be on January 16, 2025, at the library at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the Gilpin Library visit their website at gilpinlibrary.org.
