Come Thursday evening for our meet-and-greet harp circle. Rachel will host a Friday evening Ceilidh/Talent Night, she will share her love of Celtic harp in technical workshops and guide us through her O'Carolan ensemble arrangements. Rachel Clemente will perform in concert on Saturday afternoon at 2. Our complete schedule follows!

HARP RETREAT IN THE THOUSAND ISLANDS WITH RACHEL CLEMENTE!

September 26 - 28, 2024

Thursday evening, 9/26:

6 p.m. Meet-and-Greet Supper and Harp Circle.

Meet Rachel and greet harp-friends old and new. We will share introductions, light fare and music!

Friday, 9/27:

9:30 - 11:00 WORKSHOP I: Express Yourself, Insights Into Playing a Traditional Scottish Air
Come and learn some techniques to enhance the beauty of a traditional Scottish melody! We’ll dive into the nuts and bolts of how to listen to the melody, experiment with dynamic range, and create harmonic and melodic balance between your hands.

11:15 - 12:15 O’CAROLAN ENSEMBLE WORKSHOP I (Arrangement by Rachel Clemente)

12:15 - 1:15 . Lunch & Break

1:15 - 2:45. WORKSHOP II: The Importance of Finger Placement

Don’t get tripped up! This workshop will be about navigating through those tricky passages in a piece that stump us all! We will use two traditional Scottish tunes to focus on finger placement and how we can create smoother, more melodic melodies and gain more control in our playing by simply concentrating on those eight little digits.

3:00 Leisure Time and Break for Private Lessons

6:00 Meet for Supper

7:00. CEILIDH — Share-Your-Secret Talent Night! Rachel Clemente, Emcee. (public invited)

An evening in which all are invited to share their unique talents. Sing a song, play a piece, recite a poem, tell a story, model a quilt, sweater or scarf, tell a joke. Don’t be shy. It’s all in fun. Sign up with Rachel or Evie.

Saturday, 9/28

10:00 -11:30 CONTENT WORKSHOP III: Exercises for Every Occassion
Incorporating exercises into your practice time is a great way to ground yourself when you first sit down at your harp. In this workshop we will look at a selection of exercises that cover a range of techniques. Each offers a way to increase and decrease the difficulty to suit your level and a way to adapt them to fit into your practice!

1145 - 12:15 . O’CAROLAN ENSEMBLE WORKSHOP II

12;15 - 2:00. Break for Lunch

2:00. Concert: AN AFTERNOON OF SCOTTISH HARP MUSIC featuring RACHEL CLEMENTE

followed by a Meet-the-Artist Reception

* If the weather should prove unsuitable for workshops and concert in the barn, we have a back-up venue at Hammond Presbyterian Church, 217 St. Lawrence Avenue, which has a basement hall with kitchen, and a lovely sanctuary.

* Most local hotels and motels will have started off-season rate schedules. Almost all require a 2-night commitment.
For simple, clean accommodations, we recommend The Rock Ledge or The Applewood, on Route 12 in Alexandria Bay. There are lovely on-the-river resorts such as The Riveredge Resort and The Edgewood Resort. I would also suggest looking into The Lodges at Oak Point—lovely cottages on the River.

* Redwood, just south of Hammond has several pristine lakes ideal for kayaking. The Wandering Kayak will deliver and pick up kayaks with all essentials (life vest, paddle, phone protector) at a lake of your choice.

* People who stay on an extra day may like to take an Uncle Sam’s Boat Tour out of Alex Bay to get out on the River and hear the interesting history of the Thousand Islands.

* Clayton, 20 minutes upriver from Alex Bay is a charming River town with a lovely waterfront, shops and restaurants.

Call Evelyn at 718-753-7947 with questions. Details of Schedule and Registration below.

Harp Retreat in the Thousand Islands with Rachel Clemente

Thursday - Saturday, September 26 - 28, 2024

REGISTRATION

Name: _______________________________

E-mail: ____________________

Address: _____________________________

_____________________________________

Telephone(s): _________________________

Participants may benefit from a day rate or— most economical—our complete retreat fee that includes all workshops, Ceilidh/Share-Your-Talent Evening, Harp Circle, O’Carolan ensemble arrangement with practice recordings and Concert! The concert is free for participants.

Private Friday afternoon lessons with Rachel start at 3:00 pm. $65.— for a full-hour class.

Private lessons with Rachel will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis!

Single Day Fee: $120.—

Weekend Fee that includes all three content workshops, ensemble workshops, harp circle, Ceilidh and Concert: $225.—

Please make your check payable to: The Iva Smith Gallery and mail it to:Evelyn Saphier, The Iva Smith Gallery, 627 State Highway 37, Hammond, NY 13646.

You may also register by email/phone at 718-753-7947 and read Evie your Credit Card number, if you wish.

OR use the Eventbrite Link. Thank you! https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/harp-retreat-in-the-thousand-islands-with-rachel-clemente-tickets-946008987347?aff=oddtdtcreator

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