Listen to Ann & Charlie playing

Neil Roy

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Duration 0:57
Ann uses her "Coupled Hands" approach to play this traditional Scottish reel. She is accompanied by the bodhran, a frame drum.
This excerpt comes from the CD Héman Dubh by Clairseach (Clairseach Music 1997). Ann Heymann: Gaelic harp. Charlie Heymann: bodhran.

Cormac's Alman

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Duration 1:48.
Almans were stately dances popular at European courts during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. What makes this unique is that it was composed by an Irish harper named Cormac MacDermott from Co. Roscommon who served at the court of James VI of Scotland.
Ann's arrangement is from a compilation of three parts (cantus, tenor, bassus) surviving in partbooks housed at Yale University Library (Filmer ms4). Thanks to Sean Donnelly for his research.
This excerpt comes from the CD Queen of Harps by Ann Heymann (Temple Records 1994)

Baltiorum

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Duration 1:12.
A melody that Edward Bunting collected from harper Thady Conlan in 1831. Though said to be a song praising the Fire-God Baal, that attribution cannot be derived from the title, which simply means "Place of the Song House". It used to be sung at the St. John's Eve (midsummer) bonfires.
This excerpt comes from the CD The Harpers Land by Ann Heymann and Alison Kinnaird (Temple Records 1983).

Scott's Lamentation

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Duration 0:40
Composed by 16th century Co. Westmeath harper John Scott for Thomas Purcell, Baron of Loughmoe. Bunting collected this from Denis O'Hampsey, but this is not one of his published versions. It has been reconstructed from markings in Bunting's earliest transcriptions and a familiarity with O'Hampsey's techniques. Ann performs it on a copy of O'Hampsey's "Downhill" harp using the na comhluighe tuning published by Bunting.
This excerpt comes from the CD Queen of Harps by Ann Heymann (Temple Records 1994)