John Egan (harp maker)

Last updated

Portable harp made by John Egan, photographed in 1819 Portable Harp MET 215159.jpg
Portable harp made by John Egan, photographed in 1819

John Egan was an Irish musical instrument maker active during the years 1804 to 1838, [1] who is considered by many as the father of the modern Irish harp. According to Simon Chadwick, honorary secretary of the Historical Harp Society of Ireland, "The ancient Irish harp tradition, which goes back to medieval times, was dying out around 1800. Egan invented a completely new romantic type of Irish harp, which was very successful, and which formed the basis of all subsequent revivals." [2]

Egan overcame the restrictions of the traditional Irish harp by adding the dital tuning mechanism and pliable catgut strings of the European pedal harps, calling his creation "portables". Of the c.2000 harps Egan made, only 37 are known to exist. Although they are not considered as priceless as a Stradivarius violin, for instance, they are considered classic instruments, and have been priced as high as US$24,000. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic music</span> Grouping of folk music genres

Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerably to include everything from traditional music to a wide range of hybrids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harp</span> Plucked string instrument

The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or concerts. Its most common form is triangular in shape and made of wood. Some have multiple rows of strings and pedal attachments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Scotland</span>

Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which remained vibrant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. Despite emigration and a well-developed connection to music imported from the rest of Europe and the United States, the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects and has influenced many other forms of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaelic revival</span> 19th-century Irish language revival

The Gaelic revival was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language and Irish Gaelic culture. Irish had diminished as a spoken tongue, remaining the main daily language only in isolated rural areas, with English having become the dominant language in the majority of Ireland.

The modern Celts are a related group of ethnicities who share similar Celtic languages, cultures and artistic histories, and who live in or descend from one of the regions on the western extremities of Europe populated by the Celts.

Pibroch, piobaireachd or ceòl mòr is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations. Strictly meaning 'piping' in Scottish Gaelic, piobaireachd has for some four centuries been music of the great Highland bagpipe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity College harp</span> Medieval musical instrument used as a model for the coat of arms of Ireland

The Trinity College harp, also known as "Brian Boru's harp", is a medieval musical instrument on display in the long room at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. It is an early Irish harp or wire-strung cláirseach. It is dated to the 14th or 15th century and, along with the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp, is the oldest of three surviving medieval harps from the region. The harp was used as a model for the coat of arms of Ireland and for the trade-mark of Guinness stout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jouhikko</span> Lyre

The jouhikko is a traditional, two- or three-stringed bowed lyre, from Finland and Karelia. Its strings are traditionally of horsehair. The playing of this instrument died out in the early 20th century but has been revived and there are now a number of musicians playing it.

John Egan may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bragar</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Bragar is a village on the west side of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, 14 miles from the island's only town, Stornoway. Bragar is within the parish of Barvas, and is situated on the A858 between Carloway and Barvas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic harp</span> Celtic musical instrument

The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as cláirseach in Irish, clàrsach in Scottish Gaelic, telenn in Breton and telyn in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring great skill and long practice to play, and was associated with the Gaelic ruling class. It appears on Irish coins, Guinness products, and the coat of arms of the Republic of Ireland, Montserrat, Canada and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Egan (Gaelic footballer)</span> Kerry Gaelic footballer

John Egan was an Irish sportsperson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Chadwick</span> Australian rules footballer and coach

Sir Albert Edward Chadwick, CMG, MSM was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League (VFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish traditional music</span> Genre of folk music that developed in Ireland

Irish traditional music is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mary Harp</span>

The Queen Mary Harp or Lude Harp, is a Scottish clarsach currently displayed in the National Museum of Scotland. It is believed to date back to the 15th century, and to have originated in Argyll, in South West Scotland. It is one of the three oldest surviving Gaelic harps, the others being the Lamont Harp and the Trinity College Harp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamont Harp</span>

The Lamont Harp, or Clàrsach Lumanach is a Scottish Clarsach currently displayed in the National Museum of Scotland. It is believed to date back to the 15th century, and to have originated in Argyll. Along with the Queen Mary Harp and the Trinity College harp, it is one of the only three surviving medieval Gaelic harps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Byrne (musician)</span>

Patrick Byrne or Pádraig Dall Ó Beirn was the last noted exponent in Ireland of the historical Gaelic harp and the first Irish traditional musician to be photographed.

Daniel Dow was a traditional Scottish fiddler, composer, teacher and concert organizer and one of the first musicians to publish music specifically for bagpipes. He is credited as both Daniel and Donald, both acceptable translations for the Gaelic name of 'Domhnull'.

References

  1. Foley, Catherine: "Egan John", in: The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, ed. by Harry White and Barra Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), p. 346.
  2. 1 2 "For a Rare Discarded Harp, a Chance to Sing Again ", Colin Moynihan, New York Times , August 10, 2009
  3. "Early Gaelic Harp Info: history (19th Century)", Simon Chadwick, Early Gaelic Harp Info , January 16, 2005
  4. "Harp, John Egan, about 1820. Museum no. 332-1882 - Victoria and Albert Museum", Victoria and Albert Museum Archived 2010-07-07 at the Wayback Machine