Glass harp

A glass harp being played in Rome, Italy. The rims of wine glasses filled with water are rubbed by the player's fingers to create the notes.

For the Band, see Glass Harp or for the similar instrument, see Glass harmonica.

A glass harp (Glasharfe in German; also called musical glasses, singing glasses, angelic organ, verrilion or ghost fiddle) is an instrument made of upright wine glasses. It was created in 1741 by Irishman Richard Pockrich, who is known as the first virtuoso of the musical glasses.

The composer Christoph Willibald Gluck played the musical glasses. He performed in London and Copenhagen. His instrument consisted of 26 goblets.

The instrument was popular in the 18th century. Pockrich's contemporary, Ford, published Instructions for the Playing of the Musical Glasses while Bartl published a German version. ^[1]

It is played by running moistened or chalked fingers around the rim of the glasses. Each glass is tuned to a different pitch, either by grinding each goblet to the specified pitch, in which case the tuning is permanent, or by filling the glass with water until the desired pitch is achieved.

Contemporary

On February 18 1979, Gloria Parker performed as a musical glass soloist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra at the Jai-Lai Fronton in Hartford, CT. Richard Hayman, noted for his arrangements for Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, was the guest conductor for the 90-piece orchestra that accompanied the musical glasses which included songs such as Lara's Theme from the movie Dr. Zhivago, Lover and Amor.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

The progressive rock band Pink Floyd used the wine glass effect during the recording of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on their Wish You Were Here album, recorded and released in 1975.^[2] Igor Sklyarov played the glass harmonica on the same song during two 2006 concerts recorded in Venice, Italy by former guitarist David Gilmour.^[3] Gilmour also used the effect during his August 26, 2006 concert in Gdańsk, Poland with the help of Guy Pratt, Phil Manzanera and Dick Parry.^[4] Both recordings are available on Gilmour's Live in Gdańsk CD, although the Venice recording is only available on the 5-disc version of the album or as an internet download with the 3- and 4-disc versions.

References

• A Movie Broadway Danny Rose Directed by Woody Allen (film), a glass harp is played by Gloria Parker.
• In the film Miss Congeniality, Agent Grace Hart plays a glass harp in the talent portion of the fictional Miss United States Pageant.
• Glass Harp is also the name of a rock/jazz power trio, fronted by Phil Keaggy.
• A Toast To Christmas with the Singing Glasses is an album recorded and released in 1980, composed by Gloria Parker playing the glass harp. 14 well-loved carols come to life with the glass harp producing flute like sounds on crystal glasses, marking the first commercial album with this instrument. A New CD is being released for the 2008 Christmas holiday.
• Gainsborough Dupont, 1775 portrait of Mrs. Philip Thicknesse playing the glasses. She was known as an accomplished musician, especially at the musical glasses.
• A Soundie Penthouse Party Directed and Produced by William Forest Crouch featuring Gloria Parker playing the glass harp.
• In an MTV short, two musicians are seen to play 2unlimited's hitsong "no limits" on a glassharp [Lernert Engelbert & Sander Plug] (http://www.vimeo.com/2611479).
• A performance of Mike Oldfield's aldum Tubular Bells III features some glass harp playing, as can be seen at DVD.

See also

• Glass harmonica
• Gloria Parker

External links

• bizbash Water Glasses
• Gloria Parker Musical Glass site
• Glass Duo glass harpers site
• Anitras Dans (Anitra's Dance) Video - Third movement of the Suite No. 1 by Edvard Grieg at YouTube played by Glass Duo /glass harp/.

• Glass Harp in David Gilmour's Venetian concerts - Glass Harp and "Shine On Your Crazy Diamond"
• Grand Harmonicon, Baltimore, ca. 1830 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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