Clarsheree was Janet’s 5-member group assembled in 1993 to record an album of Carolan music and to go on tour to Gothenburg (Sweden) where they featured at the Gothenburg Irish Festival with Riverdance choir Anúna. 

Clarsheree members comprised:

Janet on vocals, harp and harpsichord
Patrick Davey (Belfast) on Uilleann Pipes, whistles, flute and bodhran
Michael Rooney (Monaghan) on harp and flute
Grainne Hambly (Mayo) on harp and concertina and
Suzanne McAlindon (Antrim) on harp.

 
Front row: Suzanne McAlindon, Janet Harbison, Patrick Davey
Back row: Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney

While the recording focused on the music of Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738), the group’s performance programme also featured original music by the group members, principally by Janet and piper Patrick Davey with the first appearances of his tunes ‘Flying to the Fleadh’ and ‘The Rectory Reel’ (named after the Old Rectory in Glencolmcille where Janet invited Patrick to teach at our summerschools).  Janet’s arrangements of these tunes set the style for the future, more contemporary direction of Janet’s other groups including the Harp Orchestras.  

The group Clarsheree went on for a number of years to perform at many corporate occasions for national and international occasions.

‘Clarsheree’ is an anglicisation of the Irish word ‘Cláirseoirí’ meaning ‘harpers’.