History of the Harp
Ancient Harps
The harp is one of the oldest musical instruments, having been around since the start of recorded history in 3000 BC. Harps have been found dating from this time in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, and are frequently shown in Egyptian tomb paintings. Harps of this type have survived and are still played in some parts of the world; most notably in Africa and, until about 100 years ago, Afghanistan and Iran.Frame Harp
The addition of a front pillar to strengthen the construction seems to have been a European invention and took place some time around the 9th Century AD. The vikings are sometimes credited with having harps, although there is no evidence of a viking harp, as opposed to lyre, having been in England. The word 'harp' is first used in England by the Saxons, but there is a problem in translation as the Saxon word 'Harp' meant 'to play a stringed instrument' and cannot be assumed to be an actual harp as we would recognise it today.
The harp came to the British Isles much later than the original 'Celts', appearing in crude stone carvings in Scotland and Ireland in the 8th and 9th centuries, then in England in the 12th, and later in Wales. Many years later It flourished and developed uniquely both in shape and repertoire in all of the 'celtic' areas, but in England its development was curtailed particularly badly, due to the same forces of political and religious discrimination that threatened it in the 'celtic' areas. However the presence of the harp and harpers in England throughout history cannot be ignored, and we can now all celebrate and cherish together, the little traces we have left of this fascinating and beautiful instrument's history, wherever they may be found.
The Celtic frame harp had a curved front pillar. It survived in this form until the 18th Century when it died out. A fantastic example is on display in Trinity College in Dublin dating from the 15th Century. The left side of this particular harp is the symbol of the Republic of Ireland, while the right side of the same harp is the symbol of Guinness!
Gothic Harp
By the 14th Century, harps in mainland Europe started to change in shape, evolving a straight pillar and becoming much larger allowing a bigger range and a brighter tone.Single-action Pedal Harp
The single-action pedal harp was invented in 1720 by Hochbrucker, and featured seven foot-operated pedals. By an elaborate mechanism, each of these pedals controlled all the strings of a particular name: for example, the F pedal controlled all the F strings. Pressing the pedal would raise all the F strings simultaneously to F#. This enabled tunes to be played in a number of different keys. This harp was not very popular, due to shortcomings in the operating mechanism, but it led the way for the invention of the ultimate design: the double-action pedal harp.However, there are many examples across England of how the harp was used in domestic entertainment of the wealthy in the late 18th and 19th centuries, perhaps the most obvious ones being the instrument's appearances in novels such as those by Jane Austin, Thackeray, George Elliot and Thomas Hardy.