Carillon - Part 2,Harp Level 3 (High Intermediate)

Ensemble in 3 harp parts (Levels 3, 3 & 1)

Duration: 5 mins, 15 secs

Part 2 - Harp Level 3 (High Intermediate)

Sheet Music Download + FREE MP3

Composed in 1992 for Derek Bell, the harper of the Irish group The Chieftains

Thank-you for all the fun and encouragement, Derek!

'Carillon’ is the French word (for ‘a pealing of bells’) used in English for the sets of great ecclesiastic bells in European cathedrals.

Carillon is a play on the theme of ecclesiastic bells and is a work in three sections: Fanfare, Serenade and Jig. The first section is mindful of the great gonging and echoing cathedral bells; the second of the sweet and sleepy distant country church bells; and the third, the thrilling alarm of the unexpected. The final section brings all the themes together in a chiming celebration.

The piece was originally composed as a solo harp piece for Derek who played it world-wide in his solo concert programmes. Here it is set as it was performed by the Belfast Harp Orchestra in 1993 who featured it as the title track of the CD “Carillon” produced just after they won a Grammy Award with the Chieftains for the best folk music album of 1993.

In the late 1990s, the Belfast Harp Orchestra evolved into the IRISH HARP ORCHESTRA (a professional touring stage production company of harps and all other Irish traditional music instruments with singers and dancers) and the NATIONAL HARP ORCHESTRA, a student’s training orchestra. These groups are tutored and directed by Janet Harbison with up to 24 harp.