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The Carving of the "Sirr" Harp
by Charlotte O'Faolain-Hallett
Charlotte
O'Faolain-Hallett and her husband William Hallett of Amesbury, Massachusetts,
arrive at their artistic expertise from a lifelong involvement with applied
arts and crafts. When I discovered that Charlotte Hallett had personally
carved her own wire-strung harp ... a Sirr harp by legendary harp-maker
Jay Witcher ... I became very excited and invited her to share her creation
and her personal approach to ornamentation with the readers of the Folk Harp Journal.
At the time of our first conversation, I hadn't as yet seen her work
but when the first set of color photographs arrived, I was jubilant. Something
in the designs reminded me immediately of those brilliantly incised, cuneiform
patterns found in Waterford crystal. As it turned out, she and her husband
had indeed designed in crystal, specifically for the internationally known
Steuben Glass
Company a creative division of Corning Glass. As the photographs
which accompany this article demonstrate, the artist's beautiful ideas of
design ... which I imagine sparkle with pristine clarity in crystal ...
translate warmly into the rich medium of carved wood under a caring eye
and a sensitive, well-practiced hand.
Please enjoy these intimate reflections from the heart of an inspired old-world craftsman ...
- Copyright© 1998 Adam Victor Christensen
oday there will be snow. It will be a delicate , thin
sifting, as insubstantial as dust motes in a sunbeam; there will be enough
to rim the fallen leaves in white and silver, the bittersweet vines, but
no more than that. Far to the northwest in the distant reaches of the river,
the wind is rising, high in the trees with the song of a woman keening.
Birch smoke braids from a neighbor's chimney. I am aware that this time
of early winter is a time of disclosure in this very old place. Leaf piles
all raked and gone away; the earth now become a pelt of soft, shorn grasses;
garden and lawn inscribed by a sturdy parade of pine and fir layed against
the counterpoint of maple lace. Today is a good day to work in wood.
We have our studio some distance from the house, and the
walk is a pleasing space and a calm interlude. Our studio - a renovated
boat house - looks down on a small tidal river. For the most part, all our
work is carried out in it. With high ceilings and generous light, it houses
many aspects of our lives. We are designers and craftsmen, using a variety
of materials. Working mainly for industrial and church clients, we design
silver, bronze, crystal, porcelain and wood, as well as church vestments
and paintings.
(Please see the masterful triptych
designed for the altar of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Dallas,
Texas.) The tools before me on my bench this morning are a poetic
mix of wood and fine steel, many having been collected over the years, or
given as gifts by colleagues. A selection of tools is laid out for the day's
work - gouges, spoon gouges and straight ones in a range of sizes, parting
tools and chisels from small to generous - and each is carefully honed.
There is a sense of anticipation in the room. An enormous project with many
components went on its way to a client yesterday. The final part of it was
the completion of an elaborate processional cross. Highly carved with delicate
tendrils and dramatized in polychrome, its departure has left an all too
brief time in a hurried schedule for a very personal project - the carving
of my own harp.
The instrument in our studio today is a beautiful reproduction
of the "Sirr" or O'Neil harp whose first incarnation resides in
the
National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. . Since my major interests are in Irish and Scottish traditional
music, I already own a lovely wire-strung instrument that I greatly enjoy
playing. Two considerations emerge - the first, that I wish to have an instrument
of thirty-six strings - the second, since I play with the fingernails only,
that I feel a narrower string spacing would be more congenial to the techniques
I generally employ. However, many might find a concert harp's wider spacing
more fitting for their requirements, especially if they play both gut and
wire-strung instruments. Having resolved that the narrow spacing designed
to admit the nails rather than the entire fingerpad was an important point
to me, I contacted Jay Witcher to investigate the variety of instruments
he makes, and to discuss the particular attributes each might have that
makes its voice unique.
My search was greatly assisted by a collection of CD's and tapes that feature the clairseach, and display the individual sounds particular to a number of reproduction instruments. Finding the sound most appealing to me was a factor equal to the importance of the total harp design. The "Sirr" harp, unornamented save for an eagle's head terminating the forepillar and an "unidentified creature ( a seal perhaps? )" at the neck, was the instrument I kept returning to, until at last, I placed my order, and asked that it be finished only to the rough sanded stage. The wait was about a year and a half for delivery.
Since we have had a long career in ornamental design and its requirements
of drawing - modeling and carving, and an extensive experience with the
tools that make it possible, I resolved to compose a design that would articulate
the surface of the instrument in such a way as to emphasize its dramatic
personality. For this approach to operate successfully, the ornament was
drawn as a carefully contained and continuous interweave of structure and
pattern. Animal forms and geometric passages move in a balanced interrelationship.
Their forms and placements are planned for a composition that plays abstract
detail against the movement of the animal forms.
The term"ornament" is employed here whether it refers to historical references or contemporary styles, and may be considered, in this instance, as an interpretive process of revealing , rather than enhancing or decorating. Ornament, integrated into our instruments, serves to expand, describe and amplify our music and by extension, ourselves. As a language, formal ornament can establish its own visual conversation with the observer. It transmits information in a vocabulary of line, mass, energy, harmony, proportion, dynamics and details, not unlike music itself, but music articulated as sculptural form on either a bold or an intimate scale.
Ornament can be explosive or reticent, controlled or free, dominated
by antique symbolism, by the dynamics of the natural world, or the spare,
elegant structures of contemporary design. Arguably, the most beautiful
of instruments, the harp, exerts a powerful attraction, even silent and
unplayed. For example, at a recent chamber music concert given by a trio
of flute, violin and harp, the audience was invited on-stage after the performance
to chat with the musicians. As is often the case, an enthusiastic and enchanted
company were clustered around the harpist. They were musically knowledgable,
and enjoyed conversing with the performer. More than a few, however, chose
to meander slowly around the harp in silence, simply to absorb and appreciate
every angle, curve and glistening detail. The object of their attention
was majestically proportioned, strong and powerful. The ornament emphasized
and underscored Victorian confidence. It was an effect entirely in keeping
with the character of the music played upon it, and the atmosphere created
by the ensemble - an elegant ambiance.
In planning a design for our harps,
successfully communicating the overall effect we ultimately searched for,
structure, in the architecture of instrument construction, as in our music,
is a primary consideration. In the anatomy of harp forms, we encounter a
dialogue of masculine and feminine attributes perhaps more apparent in our
instruments than in other. Balance and harmony integrate the curve with
the straight line, the delicate surface and slender string blend the grace
of a muse with the bravery of a warrior's bow. These elements so compose
the architecture that even in its construction state, strength and grace
are immediately evident. Designing with ornament appropriate to such structure
invites the undertaking of much preliminary research and investigation that
are, to me, pure pleasure. The elements of discovery and of journey are
addictive elements for a designer.
or work involving period ornament, a bulging library,
and a bursting "morgue", or file of pictorial sources, are a critical
necessity. Since I have noted that we have been engaged in this career for
a considerable time, one might expect that we pick our way around tottering
piles of books slumped beside the groaning library shelves, and one would
be correct. Art, architecture, design and history form the largest sections.
These function as "memory refreshers", as do sketch books from
many sources, and working drawings, together with design blueprints from
previous commissions. Reading about the cultural history of a given period
is an absorbing method to become familiar with the society that produced
the aesthetic concepts that articulate a certain style and its expression.
The "Sirr" harp, I felt,
would lend itself well to a design based on traditional Irish ornament.
Carried and enclosed by the dramatic architecture of the instrument, it
would be managed in such a way as to emphasize elements already present
such as the bird heads, overall energetic, elegant lines, , and an eagle
foot design in the stand. Since the harp is already a beautiful , sculptural
form, the purpose of carving is to encourage the eye to move more slowly
over the surfaces - to pause, to linger, and to draw closer to examine the
details. An instrument designed to be heard in an intimate space may not
require ornamental features on a large scale. If the piece were, for example,
a large baroque harp that demands an imposing presence in a concert hall,
the ornament would then be planned to claim attention from a distance much
greater than that required for a smaller more delicate chamber instrument.
fter assembling a number of basic sketches based on my
research, these drawings were then rephrased to incorporate some personal
details - symbols and images relating to me personally, and to this area.
The interlace of hounds on the forepillar alludes to a hound device in my
family's crest that I wished to include. Since nearly all my work is commissioned,
this rare opportunity for self-indulgence was impossible to pass by. Our
house, a pre-Revolutionary structure, is sited between two rivers. The smaller
river at the back plays host to a population of ducks in winter. They huddle
under the overhanging bank, occasionally venturing out in twos or threes
to paddle ceremoniously behind a drift of ice, used as a mobile wind break.
Fish hawks have nested in the neighborhood. At the front of the property,
several bald eagles cruise the broad stretch of water, their white heads
ghosting against the dark pines. There is a mix of salt water from the ocean
that brings with it many marine creatures bourne in and out on the swing
of the tides. Something of this atmosphere found its way into the ribbons
and twists of carving, twined in wood as they are in forest and river.
From sketches the work then went to full scale, accurate, working drawing which would then be transferred to the harp. As in most of our work, there are, in today's terms, the minimum of mechanical assets. For the most part these are simple: dividers, compasses, calipers, pencils, pen and ink and so on. Simply as a personal preference, the individuality of a drawing produced by hand, as opposed to the near absolute mathematics of electronic assists, creates a design "fabric" in which elements may appear positively identical but yet possess the infinitely minute differences that promote interest. Perhaps these are sensed rather than seen; yet they are actively present. When the drawings, rendered in ink line on vellum are finished, they are rubbed with graphite on the reverse and transferred to the wood with a stylus.
he larger elements which will carry a heavier border are
outlined with a V gouge or parting tool, the smaller delicate lines with
the miniature game tool. Other carving tools remove stock from lower or
negative space areas. A mix of bent and straight gouges, chisels and parting
tools are used as the carving progresses. The grain and "figure"
in the mapleiven close attention. High relief carving, in this instance,
might have interfered with the drama of the harp's construction - the impact
of the bird's heads and the smooth passages of grain patterns. A shallow
relief was employed to add complexity and detail to the design, while maintaining
the strength of line already present. All procedures were tested on scrap
maple when an effect was being considered.
After all the elements have been established, each edge is gently
treated with an ultra fine sanding, and the incised lines cleaned with dental
picks and tack cloth. Perhaps, at this point, the importance of very careful
hand sanding should be emphasized. Before any procedures were begun on this
piece, every surface was thoroughly sanded in stages, with a succession
of ever finer grits from about 240 to 600 until the surface was positively
smooth. This procedure assists me in achieving accurate details on a small,
delicate scale. Considerable care was taken not to rest the hands directly
on the surface, if possible, because oils from the skin may inhibit the
various stains from penetrating effectively. Since sanding steps to raise
grain, and then render it smoother were carried out by moistening, sanding
and drying, and repeating these procedures twice, a water soluble stain
might have been employed. As it happened, we had on hand a large number
of jars containing dry stain crystals made to be dissolved in alcohol. A
custom mix was developed and tested in two values - a dark, reddish tone,
and a paler value of the same stain with a slightly golden cast. All mixing
procedures with dry pigments must be carried out wearing eye protection
and using a respirator type mask. Handling of these pigments also must be
carefully avoided. We employ products available to the trade only and they
are definitely not suitable for craftsmen working on the occasional project.
efore staining, the sound holes were enlarged and provided
with an underlip to support a disk of faux ivory inlay which would be positioned
later. Staining is done very rapidly on a completely clean, dust-free surface,
with lint-free wadding on the broad surfaces, and artist's brushes in the
details. Since the carving cuts are sharp and relatively deep, the geometrics
and feathers, for example, are colored in several values with a number of
applications of different stain tones. Creeping is minimal since the dividing
incised lines are keen. All cuts are then emphasized with blackish brown
artist's oil color in a thin mix.
The instrument then spends several days air drying. In the humid atmosphere of warm weather it would rest somewhat longer before varnishing could begin. The varnish, of a type developed for violin making is applied by brushes made for the purpose. These varnishes must be applied very rapidly in continuous motions to avoid lap marks. Several coats are used, with each one given a massage with fine bronze wool after drying. The final stages involve considerable hand-rubbing with felt pads and paraffin oil using first a mix of pumice and rotten stone powders, and lastly oil and rotten stone alone for a final rub down. The surface becomes lustrous with a beautiful subtle shine that retains a soft glow.
To maintain this instrument, I observe all the good old rules about
avoiding direct sun and heat sources. In the cold season a humidifier is
running constantly in any case, since the atmosphere tends to be overly
dry from central heating - not for harps, furniture, or humans either. Occasionally,
I treat the harp to a polish marketed by Lyon
and Healy which cleans and produces no build-up. When I detect oxidation
on the strings, I use a polish /cleaner that is available, as I understand,
under a couple of names. "Nev-r-dull" is available in New England
in hardware and supply stores. It is a can of cotton batting/wadding with
a cleaning solution that is soaked into the fibers - a pinch is pulled off,
and working from bottom and top towards the middle of the string, any oxidation
cleans away completely with gentle rubbing. As each string is cleaned, it
is wiped with a regular cotton ball until no trace of tarnish shows. Any
cleaning procedure using abrasives, such as steel wool, on brass strings
does not attract me, since strength can be compromised by such operations
- a gentle process is preferred.
s I write this piece the autumn here in New England is
catching fire. Wagon loads of pumpkins appeared at local farm stands, and
yesterday there was the whirring surprise of migrating wood cock in the
back garden. Woodpiles have grown in the clear air, while boats are hauled
up and stored snug for the winter. Soon now the packed earth in the drive
will be iron underfoot and paper thin ice will rim the puddles. Time comes
in long strands of early darkness, candlelight and ancient tunes on an Irish
harp.
My thanks to Jay Witcher for his expertise in building this beautiful instrument and to the staff at the National Museum, Dublin, Ireland for their helpful assistance in my research adventures. Also thanks to Ann Heymann, and to Grainne Yeats whose magnificent talents drew me to the enchantments of the wire-strung harp.
The author, Charlotte O'Faolain-Hallett, welcomes inquiries regarding her art and design services. Please contact her by phone/fax at (978) 388-0120 or write to : Hallett Associates Design Studio, 356 Main Street, Amesbury, MA 01913-4105. Or email to harpwire@ifn.net
"The Carving of the "Sirr" Harp" ... Copyright © 1997 Charlotte O'Faolain-Hallett
Photographs by Charlotte O'Faolain-Hallett and William Hallett
Visit Mike Nielsen's Harp Concert Calendar at
http://www.dol.net/~mike.nielsen/eventshtm
Page Design and Original Graphic Art Copyright
© 1997-1998 by Adam Victor Christensen