HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-11-23, Page 26cal harpist set to
ect students during
and of Goderich
n Johnston will direct the Huron
hool at the Christmas Sound of
ch Concert , North St. United
November 29, 7:30 p.m.
dwill offering will be received and
to the Goderich Christmas Bureau.
runs a busy music studio in
h where she teaches harp, piano
is theory.
ing up in a musical community
amington, Ontario, she studied
m an early age, and then earned a
r of Music degree from Wilfred
University. Sharon has worked in
ucation all her life, teaching piano,
music curriculum, giving work-
corrmposition and improvisation,
music history classes, running pre-
usic programs and summer music
ps, and adjudicating at music
n is also sought after as an excel
-
o accompanist, and has accompa-
ious choirs and music groups all
tario.. She often accompanies
usicians at exams and festivals,
coaches singers in preparation for
s and contests. She has volun-
th Goderich Little theatre for sev-
a productions.
n picked up a harp at Goderich's
liege in 1996, and literally could
t down . She was playing for com-
vents within one year, and started
harp soon afterward. She has
to London, Windsor, Ottawa and
to take harp courses and
workshops from some of the best known
teachers in North America. Since 2009
Sharon has been teaching harp to children
and adults at the same Celtic College where
she began 15 years ago.
Starting in 2005, Sharon began having
regular group classes for all her harp stu-
dents. She strongly believes that all ages
and levels can make music together, and
the folk harp is uniquely suited to ensem-
ble work. As her students came together,
they became known as the Huron Harp
School.
The Huron Harp School (HHS) now has
15 members and is growing all the time.
All students, regardless of age or experi-
ence, have opportunities to play together
in casual settings, as well as to perform
together. Some of the events HHS has per-
formed at are: Bayfield Writer's Festival,
Dancing With the Stars Fundraiser in
Goderich, 2009 Earth Hour at the Livery,
Clinton Adult Day Centre, Bayfield Sale
and Canvas Festival, as well as various
churches and nursing homes. HHS stu-
dents have won awards at the Stratford
Kiwanis Festival in past years, and in 2011
the HHS Youth Ensemble won a group
award in the same festival. Some of the
adult members participate in "Harping
Down the Sun" at the Park House on Tues-
day evenings in the summer months.
In 2007, HHs produced their first student
CD, Hearts, Hands and Harps, with 5 harps
and the second CD, Hearts Hands and
Harps at Christmas, released in 2009 has 12
student harpists.
LEXUS
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 • Signal -Star 25
F LONDON
presents
ed
Photo l+linitted
Harpist Sharon Johnson win
direct the Huron Harp School at
this year's Sound of Goderich
featuring
Joanni� Rochette
Emanuel Sandhu
Jeffrey Bustle
Chrlstln. Gao
Cynthia Phaneuf
Canadian
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