4 Girls 4 Harps is a quartet of award-winning female harpists formed in 2000.
They play Salvi
concert harp
The pedal harp (also known as the concert harp) is a large and technologically modern harp, designed primarily for use in art music. It may be played solo, as part of a chamber ensemble, or in an orchestra. It typically has 47 strings with seven ...
s and modern
electric harp
The electric harp is an instrument based on its acoustic original. There are both solid-body and hollow body electro-acoustic models available. True electric harps have a solid body versus a hollow body electro-acoustic harp, which can be played ...
s.
As of June 2012, the members were Keziah Thomas, Angharad Wyn Jones, Harriet Adie and Eleanor Turner.
Radio
The group's music has been broadcast internationally on
ABC Classic FM and in the UK on
Classic FM, where their recording was
David Mellor
David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–92) and ...
's Recommended CD of the week in June 2009, on
Rob Cowan
Rob Cowan (born 14 April 1948) is an English music broadcaster and writer.
Employed by music publisher Boosey & Hawkes for nineteen years in various capacities, his first record review was published in 1967. 's Breakfast Show on
BBC Radio 3 in September 2009,
and on
BBC Radio 2's ''
Melodies for You
''Melodies for You'' was a long-running BBC radio music programme, broadcast on Sunday mornings until 1992 and Sunday evenings subsequently, which presented works of light popular and classical music.
The show was merged with ''Your Hundred Bes ...
'' programme with
Alan Titchmarsh in March 2010.
In December 2013, 4 Girls 4 Harps performed live on BBC Radio 3.
In May 2015, the 15th anniversary of its formation, the group again performed live on BBC Radio 3 with the BBC noting, "Their upcoming concert at Temple Church in London features the world premiere of 'Tetra' -a four movement work based on the lives of four influential woman and composed by four female composers, commissioned by the quartet to mark the anniversary".
In the same month, they also performed live on BBC Radio Four's ''
Woman's Hour
''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946.
History
Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...
''.
In May 2017,
Classic FM's Lizzie Davis noted, "4 Girls 4 Harps
ave
''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...
made a name for themselves with innovative arrangements of well-known works – from Piazzolla to Borodin. Harps don’t often get the chance to be centre-stage, but 4 Girls 4 Harps are changing that, with their creative and virtuosic arrangements of well-known works for harp quartet".
Television
4 Girls 4 Harps have also featured in several TV programmes including
S4C's Nosen Lawen (March 2010) and
Wedi 7
() is a nightly Welsh language television magazine programme, formerly broadcast by S4C. Produced by Tinopolis, it was the half-hour sister programme to a full-hour ().
Description
The Welsh-language television programme was first broadcast ...
(May 2009). The group were also showcased in an article in
''Classical Music'' magazine (August 2009) about upcoming new groups and in Muso magazine (Oct/Nov 2009 issue).
Critical reception
Reviews of 4 Girls 4 Harps' concerts include:
"...A varied and innovative repertoire and four engaging personalities: A star." - N2 Arts and Entertainment, May 2010
"... no gimmicks, no stunts, no fancy costumes beyond elegant evening wear – just engaging chat and rather lovely music." - ''
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...
Gazette'', July 2011
"enriched their audience with floods of melody in an eclectic yet well proportioned selection of musical delights." - ''
South Wales Evening Post
The ''South Wales Evening Post'' is a tabloid daily newspaper distributed in the South West region of Wales. The paper has three daily editions – Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire – and is published by Media Wales, part ...
'', July 2012
References
{{reflist
External links
WebsiteFacebook pageBlogTwitter
British harpists
British instrumental musical groups
Women harpists