Hilary Rushmer
A few years ago my life changed completely for I became the owner of a Harp. At that time, I was a music teacher for the guitar and mandolin. This was just going to be a hobby, little did I know that one can become addicted to the sound of this beautiful instrument. Being an avid lover of the pure Celtic sound I knew instantly the type of music I wanted to play and the sound that I wished to create on my new-found instrument. My greatest delight is to arrange music with harmonies to enrich the beautiful Celtic melodies I so love to play on the Harp.
During research into the origins of the tunes, I have visited museums and libraries all over the British Isles, meeting many interesting and helpful people on my travels. This research opened my eyes to a fascinating history surrounding the harp and folklore of the music, leading me to delve deeper and deeper into Celtic history that is so intertwined with the rise and decline of the harp as a mysterious and magical instrument.
The beauty of the instrument and the range of expression that the harp is capable of encouraged me to explore the recording possibilities of the instrument, this I did, backing myself on the guitar, and harmonising on the mandolin and tin whistle. Hence the 'Skylark' cassette series was born setting myself on the road to a growing business. Soon to follow were 'Skylark II' and 'Skylark III' with the additional instruments of the Cello and the Fiddle. Before long my retail outlets were asking for a Compact Disc giving rise to 'Celtic Mist', a compilation of selected tunes from the Skylark Cassette Series, which includes a nine page booklet with historical and background notes to all the tunes.
In 1996 I opened 'Tall Trees' my own recording studio and released 'Celtic Voyage' in May 1997 to commemorate 1400 years since St Columba died on Iona. In August 1999 I released my album 'Celtic Sunrise' which features a number of guest musicians and also a number of my own compositions. In July 2006. I released 'Celtic Journey'. I expect that like many musicians the feeling I have for the music comes from my experiences of life, of travelling to places and the people I meet on the way. In my own compositions included on ‘Celtic Journey’ I reflect on the people whom I have fond memories, such as ‘Hannah's Grey Shawl’ – written in memory of my Grandmother, and places I have visited, such as ‘Leaving Arisaig’ – evocative of many journeys around the West Coast of Scotland.
Selected tracks from all my albums have been broadcast many times as background music on RTE, BBC Television and Radio.
I manage all the marketing and distribution of the albums in the British Isles and overseas. My aim is to give an efficient and reliable service and I am always conscious of providing a first class personal service to my customers.
The playing of the Harp gives me the greatest of pleasure evoking many emotions and I often wonder if the Welsh poet, Thomas Davies, was thinking about the harp when he wrote the following:
Music is a universal language, appealing to the very soul of man,
And it is outpouring of the heart, whether to express joy or sorrow,
To rouse to battle or to soothe to sleep,
To give expression of jubilation for the living,
Or of the wailing for the dead,
To manifest sympathy with society, or devotion of the deity.
