Welsh harpist John Thomas was one of the most acclaimed
harpist-composers of his time. His career culminated as
official harpist to Queen Victoria. John Thomas' Welsch
background, combined with classical training in London
led him to composer a multitude of works in classical
style, all imbued with Welsh folk melodies.
Attributed birth and death dates for John Thomas seem
approximate, with some references listing the former as
1826 and the latter as 1914. The Minstrel's Adieu to
His Na...(+)
Welsh harpist John Thomas was one of the most acclaimed
harpist-composers of his time. His career culminated as
official harpist to Queen Victoria. John Thomas' Welsch
background, combined with classical training in London
led him to composer a multitude of works in classical
style, all imbued with Welsh folk melodies.
Attributed birth and death dates for John Thomas seem
approximate, with some references listing the former as
1826 and the latter as 1914. The Minstrel's Adieu to
His Native Land is one of John Thomas' most famous
works, written for harp but sounding like an
appropriate background theme for just about every
touring player. The Welsh title of this masterwork is
Ffarwell y Telynor, and the piece was originally
concocted for the private harpist of Queen Victoria.
Yoonee van den Eynde and Judy Loman are among the many
harpists who have since interpreted Thomas' works for
the instrument. Geneviève Chevallier and Christine
Fleischmann presented his Grand Duet for Two Harps in E
flat major on an early-'90s collection of tandem harp
twanging. Early new age advocates have also brought
Thomas' music in line with the spacy genre's Celtic
harp connection.
This piece is written entirely for Solo Concert (Pedal)
Harp.
She was indeed a great harpist. I especially enjoyed her superb performance of this piece during the American Harp Society (AHS) in 2009. I would post it here but sadly her performance is not in the public domain.
Elle était en effet un grand harpiste. J'ai particulièrement apprécié sa superbe performance de cette pièce lors de l'American Society Harpe (AHS) en 2009. Je poste ici mais malheureusement son rendement n'est pas dans le domaine public.
SHEET MUSIC
Elle était en effet un grand harpiste. J'ai particulièrement apprécié sa superbe performance de cette pièce lors de l'American Society Harpe (AHS) en 2009. Je poste ici mais malheureusement son rendement n'est pas dans le domaine public.