Shelley Fairplay

Hi Shelley

 Just wanted to send you a quick email now I am back from wedding + honeymoon to say thanks so much!! 

 Anyway you were just great - the guests loved it! Thanks so much for making the day extra special. 

 I am just ploughing through some pictures from guests and there are a couple of you/your harp so I have attached them for you.

 Thanks again, just perfect!!

Jane, Wedding 27^th May 2011

Ar Lan y Mor

Spring 2011

What an exciting few months for a harpist it has been! I have had a wonderful time playing the harp throughout the UK for wedding days, concerts, music in hospitals and events at some stunning venues in South Wales including the Coed y Mwstwr hotel, Castell Coch and the New House Country hotel , St Mellon’s hotel and golf club, the Vale hotel and more.

Further from home locations have included Warwickshire, Bristol, Birmingham, Carmarthen, Aberystwyth, Jersey, Guernsey… this list goes on! It is wonderful to be a harpist and have the opportunity meet so many lovely people in such a variety of locations. My ‘orchestral harpist’ favourites over the last couple of months have been playing the harp parts in Requiem by Faure and Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. Favourite requests for music that I have arranged specially for harp for bride and grooms have to include the Imperial March from Star Wars and ‘She is always a woman to me’. The trip to the Edinburgh International Harp festival was greatly inspiring and the trip to Guernsey to play for Music in Hospitals/Healing Music Trust was wonderful, I met so many interesting people and hopefully we all had a great time! If you have heard me play over the past few months and have any feedback to give or information please leave a comment below, it would be lovely to hear from you!

I hope to play for you soon!

All best wishes,

Shelley

Both graduates from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Deborah Morgan Lewis and I immediately hit off when we were introduced in 2010 and have been having a fantastic time exploring music for harp and voice ever since. We now greatly enjoy performing a variety of styles from opera classics, traditional Welsh songs (sung in Welsh or English as required), folk songs, pop, jazz and wartime favorites.

 Our assorted selection of music enables us to offer packages for weddings, corporate events, lunchtime recitals, evening concerts, sing-a-long events and much more!

 For further information on Deborah’s beautiful voice and diverse ability please visit www.canuorgalon.com. We also hope to upload some duet recordings in the near future. Watch this space!

If you would like to hear us perform please email me and I will send you details of up and coming public events and/or arrange a consultation so that we can discuss the details of your wedding/event.

Please email or call me via the contact tab at the top of this page.

I look forward to hearing from you!

All best wishes,

Shelley Fairplay

Dear All,

Following the Summer Harp Festival 2010 at the National Botanical Garden of Wales it has been truly wonderful to hear so much positive feedback from those who attended over the August bank holiday weekend, your support and participation was greatly appreciated.  As many of you are aware it was somewhat a labour of love on my part and it was of course the inaugural year for the Summer Harp Festival. Following the event there has been a continual buzz of ideas for developments; thank you for all the input.

It is a festival with a dual vision and  purpose, on the one hand to inspire harpists throughout Wales and further afield by offering workshops, concerts, masterclasses, a performance platform, creating the opportunity to share ideas and meet with other fellow harpists to enjoy our instrument. The second aim is to bring the National Instrument of Wales to a wider audience bringing enthusiasts, novices, those who would not usually have the chance to hear/try harp, and even the harp skeptical (surely they do not exist?!) in to contact with this beautiful and delightful instrument through concerts, hands on harp sessions, family activities and much more.

It is with great frustration that I have to inform you that due to circumstances beyond my control the 2nd Summer Harp Festival will not be going ahead on the provisional dates for 2011 published last year. Sufficient funding of the event could not be secured and there has over the past month been a change in priorities at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. Rather than risk holding an event second rate to the inaugural year I am now working on 2012 plans for us all to enjoy. Every aspect of the event is being reflected upon.

I would like to offer my sincere apologies to all of you who have saved the date and to everyone who has been working with me on plans for this year.  In order that we should have something to mark the ongoing development of the Summer Harp Festival I hope to invite you all to a soirée over the summer (date to be confirmed). If in the meantime you would like to contact me I would be delighted to hear from you.

Please do pass this email on to anyone you have contacts for who may wish to know this information. I am in the process of building up a database of people who would be happy to be contacted by me regarding the Summer Harp Festival and other harp events and projects. If you know of any harpists performing, teaching and/or studying along with retailers and enthusiasts who would like to be kept informed it would be wonderful if you could ask them to email me on: info@harpwales.com with  their name, email address, postal address and telephone number. This is the only way I will be able to build up a comprehensive list, my apologies to all that I do not currently have the contact details for!

Once again I would like to thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support for the Summer Harp Festival and will greatly appreciate your understanding regarding the current set back on this year’s dates.

I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Onwards and upwards!

All best wishes,

Shelley Fairplay

Telynau Teifi are celebrating!

On Saturday 5th March 2011 10am to 3pm Telynau Teifi are holding a launch event in honour of their new working partnership with Pilgrim Harps . There will be opportunities to listen to demonstrations and try Pilgrim’s pedal harps. The Harp Centre of Wales will also be offering tours of their premises and providing refreshments.  Further information is available via www.www.welsh-harps.com.

To attend this exciting event please contact:

Harp Music for Christmas Party

*20% Discount for all December bookings for a harpist confirmed by November 30th*

Christmas is fast approaching, hurray! I am currently taking bookings for parties, drinks receptions, background music during meals and Christmas music around the tree. Why not start your office party with a champagne drinks reception and Christmas music from a harpist - before the dancing begins?!  I cover a range of music including all traditional Christmas Carols on the harp and also pop, chart and jazzy Christmas songs including; Have yourself a merry little Christmas, All I want for Christmas is you, Santa Claus is coming to town, Walking in the Air and much more! Book soon to secure the date and qualify to 20% discount on harp music for your Christmas event.

Summer Harp Festival at the National Botanic Garden of  Wales - August bank holiday weekend 29th/30th.  

Visit www.gardenharpfestival.com and tell everyone you know…its not just for harpists!  

Catrin Finch and many more take centre stage amongst the flowers for the festival concerts and there will be demonstrations, try the harp sessions and music throughout the Garden both days. For young ones there will be harp detective trail, stories to listen to brought to life with the magical sounds of the harp and various other activities to enthrall and entertain!   For harpists there are some fantastic courses and playing opportunities.  

Visit www.gardenharpfestival.com and we look forward to seeing you there.

Visit www.gardenharpfestival.com now and see for yourself!

This year a Summer Harp Festival will be taking place at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on 29^th and 30^th of August. It promises to be an exciting and enjoyable event celebrating the national instrument of Wales.