Folk Harp Association of the Netherlands

Netherlands Folk Harp Society

A brief history of the NFHV.

A great many people in the Netherlands are involved in the folk harp. The folk harp, sometimes referred to as the ‘small harp,’ the ‘lever harp’ or ‘Celtic harp,’ is an instrument popular with both young and old. Some start on the folk harp at a young age in music school or with a private teacher; others build up their knowledge with the occasional workshop or course and develop their playing in small groups or bands, while still others are entirely self-taught. There are also harp players who have been away for the instrument for years and want to start playing again. Whatever their motivations, all these people are interested in being in contact with other harp players and exchanging knowledge. Contact with other players keeps you inspired and gives you an always fresh perspective on making music and playing the harp.

This need for contact with each other and exchanging knowledge on all things folk harp was the seed of the NFHV. The early days of any society involve never-ending phone calls with fellow enthusiasts to warm people up to the idea. And, of course, the never-ending search for volunteers. With tremendous effort and dedication, Wil Kramer, the initial driving force behind the NFHV, got it all started. The setting up of this first network became the foundation of the NFHV. The list of people interested kept growing, and more and more harp teachers saw the need for a society and got involved. The first harp sessions, for players to meet and play together, were organised, and the first newsletter was put together and mailed out. In October 1995, the Netherlands Folk Harp Society was born.

From that time forward, the NFHV slowly but surely proved itself. The ranks of the members gradually grew; the newsletter was dubbed FOLK HARP, FOLKS! and became the face of the society. The NFHV became affiliated with Unisono, an organisation for the promotion of amateur music. This affiliation facilitates cooperation with other amateur music organisations easier, and today it allows us as a society to participate in activities in a larger context, such as National Folk Music Day or DGMD, de Grote Muziek Dag (‘The Big Music Day’). The celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2000 with an Open Day in March, with a focus on profiling the society externally, and a second day in November, in which we presented a special programme for the members. The NFHV’s tenth anniversary (with workshops and concert was celebrated on Saturday, October 1st 2005, in Ellecom, because Ank van Campen (the chair of the society and a harper who has been there from the very beginning) lives there. Ellecom has been the site of many other very successful harp events, because the area is always inspiring, the community gets involved and everyone is always happy to enjoy another harp concert in Ellecom’s beautiful church. There were workshops and a concert by two harpers, both of whom have also been mainstays from the very beginning: Anne Macdearmid of Aberdeen, Scotland. Anne has been present with her music every year for 27 years and tirelessly teaches at harp weekends. And Julia Stegeman, who was also there at the first harp weekend in 1972 (at age 9, a student of Ank). Together, Anne and Julia make a matchless duo.
On the occasion of this anniversary, the society published a music book bringing together all the harp music ever published in the society's newsletter in a single volume.
 

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