As part of the 200-Year Anniversary celbration of the Benevolent Irish Society in 2025, the Society is proud to feature at the Irish Hall a series of instrument Workshops on traditional Irish instrucments.

This workshop is an introduction to the Celtic harp and the limitations of the lever/wooden/folk harp, as opposed to a pedal (orchestral) harp. You will learn how to tune it, and the reason that proper technique for hand position, plucking, and pre-placing is necessary to maximize the beautiful tone that the instrument can produce. If you read music or play the piano, this is very helpful, but not necessary. You will learn: a basic C scale, the root position major chords in the key of C, how these chords are used to play a basic arpeggio accompaniment for a song, how the the levers are used to change keys, and some recommended introductory books, and online resources.

If you have a harp, wonderful, please bring it, preferably tuned before. If you do not have a harp, there will be 3 small harps for you try.