The Barkham Harp Quartet was formed in 2000 and is made up of four awardwinning harpists. They have given concerts at many venues and festivals including the Two Moors, Windsor, Bromsgrove and Three Choirs Festivals and were chosen for the hotly contested Blackheath Halls Young Artist’s Series 2003-04. Their first CD, funded by the Tillett Trust, was released at the end of 2002.

Eleanor, Harriet, Keziah and Angharad all enjoy talking to the audience about the harp and their music, and concert programmes usually include some solo items.

Composers today are discovering the enormous musical excitement and variety the harp is capable of, and with four harps the scope is wider still. The Quartet strongly supports new music and is continually developing its eclectic repertoire. So far they have commissioned and premiered four dramatically contrasting works: Edward Watson’s ‘A Celtic Springtime’ (sponsored by the Vaughan Williams Trust): ‘The Island’ by Eleanor Turner: ‘Sun, Moon and Stars’ by Harriet Adie and Edward Longstaff ’s ‘Saraswati’. Committed to raising the profile of the harp, the four frequently play in diverse situations from glamorous cruise ships to music therapy projects and even fields! The harps can also be spotted in hospitals, schools and prisons; and in outreach programmes such as Live Music Now, and the London Philharmonic ‘Playerlink’ project. The Quartet is well travelled and has played in France, Switzerland, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Norway and New York.