Harp Levers!

The sharping levers are on!!

This means that I can play in all of the keys instead of only two without the levers.

It only took half as long as we were expecting it to but it still took 4 hours from start to finish.

It's a complicated process.  There are seven steps involved from start to finish for each string.

 

 

 

 

   

 

Disengaged

(down - not touching the string) 

Engaged

(up - stretching the string)

Harp Music

This one is played with a special effect called 'pres de la table' or P. D. L. T. for short.  That is a French phrase that means 'close to the soundboard'.  This means you pluck the strings right above the soundboard which makes it sound a bit like a guitar.

A Hymn, Two Poems, and 5 Tips for a GREAT Response

Give thanks
Rejoice
Engraft Christ's commands
Appeal to God
Triumph with good works

5 Tips for a GREAT response
Otto Koning

A new path lies before us;
We're not sure where it leads;
but God goes on before us,
providing all our needs.
This path, so new, so different
exciting as we climb,
will guide us in His perfect will
until the end of time.

Linda Maurice

The happiest business in all the world
is that of making friends,
and no investment on the street
pays larger dividends,
for life is more than stocks & bonds,
and love than rate percent,
and she who gives in friendship's name
shall reap what she has spent.

Unknown

Take time to be holy,
take time with your Lord;
Abide in Him always,
and feed on His word.
Make friends of God's children;
Help those who are weak;
forgetting in nothing, 
His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy,
the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret
with Jesus alone;
by looking to Jesus,
Like Him you will be;
your friends who are watching 
His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy,
let Him be your guide,
and run not before Him,
whatever betide;
in joy or in sorrow,
still follow your Lord,
and looking to Jesus,
still trust in His word.

William D. Longstaff

I've Graduated!!!!!

Here's the video of the ceremony:

Here's the front/back of the program so that you can follow along:

Here's some pictures from the refreshments and fellowship downstairs:

It's Finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's finished!!  Hope you enjoy the pictures and the songs I recorded!  

Putting the eyelets in

 

Screwing in the bridge pins

Putting the tuning pins in

 

The next couple of pics are of the process of stringing the harp.  I put all the strings in the correct hole in the sound board then in the correct tuning pin before I actually started stringing and tuning it.  I had to do the strings in sections so that the tension on the harp wasn't put on all at once.  Each string is usually between 15-60 pounds of tension which adds up to about 900 pounds of tension.  The harp has to get tuned about 55 times before it holds it's tune for a while as the strings stretch and everything settles together.

The beads make the knot thicker so it doesn't go through the soundboard.  I also added
2-3 short pieces of extra string to some of the smaller strings' knots to add extra bulk.  

 

The pictures and songs don't do it full justice 

but I hope it at least gives a little taste of it.  :)