Workshops
Current Workshops
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September 5 and 6, 2019, with
Sharlene Wallace from Toronto, Canada
Canadian harpist and composer, Sharlene Wallace, is a diverse musician performing, recording and teaching on both Celtic and pedal harps. Winner of the Lyon & Healy International Pop & Jazz Lever Harp Competition (USA) and the Dinan Concours d'Improvisation de Rencontres International de Harp Celtique (Brittany), she has given concerts and workshops across Canada, the United States, France and Italy.
Sharlene’s seven CDs express journeys of rhythm, spaciousness, the Canadian landscape, Celtic, Classical, South American and original music. Her most recent CD, In Night’s Deep Silence, is a spacious, tranquil album for harp and bass (George Koller).
Sharlene tours as a solo harp player as well as with bass player George Koller, the Winter’s Eve Trio (George Koller, bass and Joseph Macerollo, accordion), The Soaring Harp Trio (harpists Lori Gemmell and Julia Seager-Scott), the Christmas quartet Harp & Holly (Sandra Swannell, vocals, fiddle and viola / Terry Young, vocals and finger-style guitar / Rob Ritchie, piano, vocals) and with Grammy nominated Ron Korb (flutes). She is also a member of Iona Passage with Anne Lindsay (fiddle) and Eric Robertson (piano).
Sharlene has composed, published and been commissioned to write numerous pieces for harp and harp ensemble as well as commissioning numerous works for harp by Canadian composers such as Evelyne Datl, Loretto Reid, William Beauvais, Kirk Elliott, Rodney Sharman, Bruce Mather, John Beckwith etc.. Sharlene’s mentor, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, wrote Niagara Moon for her to perform at the World Harp Congress in Vancouver, BC.
Sharlene continues to give harp workshops across North America and annually for CAMMAC (Quebec) and Island Mountain Arts (BC). She also teaches both Celtic and Classical harps at Wilfred Laurier University, University of Waterloo, York University and University of Guelph. Her own harp performance degree is from the University of Toronto where she studied with the eminent Judy Loman.
Sharlene has also been guest soloist on both Celtic and Classical harps with orchestras in Kingston, Quinte, Timmins, Sarnia/Port Huron, London, Stratford, Oakville and Guelph. These performances have included orchestrations of her compositions. Sharlene is principal harpist with Guelph Symphony (Judith Yan), Kingston Symphony (Evan Mitchell) and Oakville Symphony (Roberto de Clara) and... plays for the Sunday Brunch at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto!
Workshop # 1 Thursday morning Sept 5th
Title:The Beauty of Playing & Practicing:
Description: The most time spent playing our harps is “practising”! This class explores good, conscious and spirited strategies to help us play the harp for ourselves and for sharing our music with an audience. Our conversations and productive ideas will include playing with fluidity, beauty-tone, speed, confidence, taming our nerves and playing from memory. (all levels)
Workshop #2 Thursday afternoon Sept 5th
Title: Two Hands, a Harp, and a Tune
Description: What do you do when all you have to work with is a tune and maybe a chord chart?! Sharlene will offer an approach to playing from a fake book or lead sheet or just a melody line! This workshop will include left hand patterns to accompany a couple of tunes of different styles. (all levels)
Workshop #3 Friday morning Sept 6th
Title:The More the Merrier!
Description: What could possibly be better than playing the harp?! … well, playing with lots of other harps, of course!! Sharlene will conduct this unique class as a harp ensemble, sharing a few of her harp ensemble arrangements and compositions while coaching the group in musical, dynamic, flexible and joyful ensemble playing. There may even be an opportunity for improvisation!!! (all levels)
Concert on Friday evening.
Accommodations
Delta/Radisson
New Gower Street, St. John’s
739-6404
$202.00/night
Jag Hotel
George Street
St. John’s
$179.00/night
Courtyard Marriott
Duckworth Street
St. John’s
$169.00/night
Extended Stay Hotel
(Provides continental breakfast and has kitchenette)
This hotel is approximately 15 minute walk from downtown St. John’s)
LeMarchant Road, St. John’s
$129.00
*** For reduced hotel rates, please quote CBS Harps when booking.