Music From The Robert ap Huw Manuscript Vol 1

The oldest collection of harp music in existence consists of 71 pages copied by Robert ap Huw in 1613 from various sources that have since vanished. Written in a unique tablature (some of which is reproduced in the CD booklet), it’s drawn from the repertoire of cerdd dant, harp music originally brought from Ireland to Wales by the 12th century king Gruffudd ap Cynan. Clare man Paul Dooley has devoted years to the study of this manuscript, and he’s one of the few people to play the old-style metal-strung harp with his fingernails in the style of the medieval harpers. There’s a harsh loveliness to the sound that’s altogether different from the milquetoast image we normally associate with the harp. As for the tunes themselves, they’re intricate explorations of theme and variation extending to 10 and even 20 minutes, and the effect is mesmerising. I can’t wait for Volume 2.