taking our culture forward

New harp for Island pupil

Wed, 10 Dec 2008

Harp pupil Amy Stoutt with the Chairman of the Foundation, Anne Craine, MHK.
Harp pupil Amy Stoutt with the Chairman of the Foundation, Anne Craine, MHK.
The Manx Heritage Foundation has recently bought a new Celtic Harp for a pupil in the north of the Island. Amy Stoutt is a pupil of Mike Boulton, a former teacher at Albert Road School and a pioneer in the teaching of Manx music in schools. Mike continues to help youngsters towards a greater appreciation of the Island’s traditional music but such is the demand for harps that he turned to the Manx Heritage Foundation for help. The Foundation has helped a number of Manx musicians purchase instruments in recent years, and was also responsible for starting the hugely successful harp classes in Douglas, now run by the Department of Education. The new harp is a hand-built instrument, made by Pilgrim Harps of Surrey, and is strung with traditional gut strings.