My Instrument - a Brian Callan Harp
The title of my blog is 'My Irish Harp' and now I would like to introduce you to my instrument. And of course being an Irish harp, it has a story to tell! This beautiful instrument was made to order for me by Brian Callan of Callan Harps in Craughwell, Co Galway, Ireland. I came across his harps quite by accident when my sister decided to help me in my quest for a suitable instrument. By some incredible coincidence, his workshop is located not far from the home of my harping ancestors, the O’Lonergan's ! I checked out the website and video clips and knew right away that this was the harp for me and I need look no further. This particular harp is made, like all his harps, from various types of native Irish timbers. The sound board is spruce, the sound box is made of spalted beech and the neck and pillar are fashioned from rippled sycamore. The rib - that is the strip of wood which runs along the centre of the soundboard - is made of six thousand year old bog oak, carbon