Yet Another Harp Surprise!

There's a story I like to tell about John as a young boy. He went with us to Instrument Preview Night at the elementary school when Anne was going to select her instrument for beginning band. All the instrument families were presented...strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. John was about five or six years of age, and a "spirited" boy at that. So, much to my surprise, when I asked him what instrument he'd like to play someday (thinking surely it would be percussion because of all the loud, banging potential), he replied that he would like to play the harp! What??? I admit I had to stifle my laugh as I pictured him daintily plucking those strings while sitting down serenely on a chair. Every time, since then, I think of John when attending a concert where a harpist is present --- and I love the way the harp adds a heavenly touch to any music piece (especially Britten's Ceremony of Carols). John went on to play the trumpet and french horn - but no harp.

This past week, another surprise harp moment came into my life! My lovely sister had treated me to a wonderful outing to the Drake Hotel Palm Room for "Tea for Two" and we listened to soothing live harp music while we poured our tea, ate our delicious scones, tea sandwiches and pastries.

We had finished our dining when the harpist started playing the "Happy Birthday" song. I thought how nice it was that someone else was celebrating her birthday, too. When, at that same time, the waiter came to our table with a little chocolate cake and a candle on top, I realized the birthday song was being played for me! How delightful it was to have the accompaniment of a harp - the first time ever all in these years of life on earth - plucking out a heavenly song of welcome to the next year of my life.

Do I not have the best sister in the world...

...and are harps not one of the loveliest instruments ever? Why else are there so many artistic renderings of angels playing their celestial instruments?

But, I still think it would be funny to see John playing a harp now at six feet in height, size 13 feet and fingers that are anything but delicate....