Articles

Cynthia has researched and written several articles about the wire strung harp, its music, history and technique. In addition to her regular column, Ringing Strings, in The Folk Harp Journal of the ISFHC, her work has been published in Wire Strings (the journal of the Wire Branch of Comunn na Clarsach in Scotland), the Bulletin of the Historical Harp Society, the Kilt & Harp (the journal of the Scottish Harp Society of America, of which she also served as editor for 5 years.) Her work can also be found in the Harplight Journal for Small Harps, which was published in Canada.

Cynthia also contributes content to www.WireStrungharp.com, a useful on–line resource for the wire strung harp.

Below is a listing of some of her articles that are available here on this website:

• Learn Wherever You Can ← Newly Available on-line
  Encouragement and Guidelines to learning from musicians who play other instruments
• Beginnings: Divided Hand Technique
  Contains an easy exercise that is also beautifully musical
• Dancing Hands and “Kingdom Coming”
  Introduction of a useful technique in a song by the 19th century American composer Henry C. Work
• Crossing Fingers and “Planxty Dillon”
  Renaissance keyboard fingering adapted to the harp makes this tune by Carolan easier to play
• Accidentals on a Lever–Free Harp
  How to incorporate tunes with accidentals into your repertoire
• Motion of Music
  The Thumb Choke and the Short Plait of the Robert ap Huw Manuscript
• Rory Dall’s Sister’s Lament
  A comparison of two versions of the tune: the Straloch lute book and the Dow Collection
• The Song of Seikilos
  Ancient Greek music on the Wire Strung Harp; using melody to create harmony
• A Trip to Scotland
  An exciting description of Cynthia’s visit there in 1998
• The Blue Men and The Captain
  A story from the Scottish Highlands

The following links will guide you to some of Cynthia’s work that is hosted on outside websites:

• The Silver Report
  Originally published in Summer 2009 in the Folk Harp Journal
• Arranging Fingal’s Cave for Performance
  Originally published in 2004 in the Kilt & Harp
• The Harp and Arms of Ireland
  Co–authored with Keith Sanger and first published on www.WireStrungharp.com
• Hang the Harpers Wherever Found...Dictates Against Harpers
  Also with Keith Sanger and first published in 2012 on www.WireStrungharp.com
• The Essence of Replica Harps
  A lecture presented at the Gaelic Harp Festival in Boston, Mass on 12 June 2011 and later published in the March 2012 Wire Strings Newsletter of the Wire Branch of Commun na Clarsach

Personal Interviews

• An interview with Cynthia by Beverly McGough.
• Another interview by one of Cynthia’s colleagues in her local Music Teacher’s Association