Mel Bay Kim Robertson: Celtic Harp Solos

This collection is full of Kim's arrangements for Celtic harp. Skimming through it, my assessment is that at least half of the arrangements would be ideal for intermediate to advanced harpists-- or at the very least, an adventurous mid-level beginner who has a music teacher/resource to help them understand the rhythm notations. I would not recommend this collection for players who cannot read moderate music/rhythm, nor for new players who are looking for a "how to play the harp" instructional.While some of the traditional folk arrangements are in the key of C, most of the songs have sharps in their key signatures, so the player's harp will need to have levers/pedals to play them. Notations such as "Do not sharp the C's," or, "Set G2 to natural," have been made where necessary, so that makes the arrangements more accessible. There are no fingering charts, so the player will need to create them, if they need it. There are even ornaments like grace notes and cuts written in the music, for those players wishing to enhance their performance. True to the nature of this book, these grace notes, cuts, trills, etc., have no how-to explanation, so the player will need to research them elsewhere.Finally, left hand chords have been inscribed above the staff for quick(er) reading. Yay!On each piece is noted its origin or composer. None of the songs are longer than two pages, so they may be played without the need to turn a page mid-song (we all know how annoying that is).This used copy of Kim Robertson's Celtic Harp Solos was in great condition, exactly as described. The considerate seller even wrapped the book in extra paper so it wouldn't receive any more wear during shipping. Thank you for going the extra mile, it is appreciated!There are 45 songs in this book, providing an abundance of material. I am listing them here for interested shoppers, as everywhere I looked online didn't provide this information:March of King LaoisMorgan MaganEleanor PlunkettArran Boat SongSpagnolettaCarolan's DreamLamentLaudaCasey's HornpipeBittersweet IIGive Me Your HandSkye Boat SongLauda to Sta. MaddalenaSeparation of Soul From The BodyRoving Galway BoyWater SpiritChanterPavaneMaids of Mourne ShoreThe Parting GlassAlfonso XII el SabioKalenda MayaBlind MaryBerceuse (excerpt)Martin Wynnd's AirBlackberry BlossomShe Moves Through the FairShenandoahBlarney PilgrimMusical PriestFhear a'BhataSweetheart Reel/Irish PatOoplaLast Night's Joy/Matt Malloy's ReelCastle KellyMoon Over the Rising CastlePaduana Alla VenetianaCarolan's DraughtSom CoïmanMoonriseLa RottaGratitudeSonatinaRainBailey's Fancy

I played the Celtic harp for eleven years before I realized that my repertoire was seriously lacking in Celtic music. I love Kim Robertson’s book of Christmas Lullabies, so I decided that I’d try this book out to start building my Celtic library. It did not disappoint! I was amazed at the low price of the book compared to the number of songs included. There are over thirty Celtic pieces, most of them by O’Carolan, but then again, he was one of the greats. Kim has also included several of her own compositions and other arrangements of non-Celtic songs, such as “Shenandoah.” I view these pieces as sort of “bonus material,” which makes the price even better!I know some harpers that are highly opposed to this book because they feel that Kim has taken too many liberties with her arrangements and therefore the pieces can no longer be called Celtic, so if you want to play classical Celtic music, you should probably look elsewhere, but if you, like me, are looking to quickly build your repertoire, than this book is well worth the price!

Loved this book. Robertson is a great arranger - clearly a harpist who knows how to make the instrument talk! I appreciated the various skill levels in the book and it's loaded with songs! Thoroughly enjoy.

Every harpist should own this

Love the music, love the arrangements, but sich I had not bought the Kindle format! I can't enlarge the pages large enough to read easily and have to rewrite and copy into a large format app such as MuseScore to be able to use it. In the end, I bought a pdf copy from Sheet Music Plus to download into a music storage app. Buy the hardcopy book instead!

Fantastic beginner harp book! This is just what I needed. So many so called beginner books are just a little too hard for me. I wanted some easy music to just play and play.

This is a classic reference for harpers. Kim's arrangements are typically better than others (including in better keys). I bought it because I lost my last copy. BUT... this book has a regular binding, which is the dumbest thing in the world for sheet music. You can't open the book flat to put on your music stand the way you can a proper spiral-bound music book (see photo). If you could order an e-copy then you could print it out and punch holes in it and put it in a binder that opens flat, but this isn't an option. Honestly, it's full-blown annoying, not a minor irritation. BUT... the music and arrangements are great, and this is a book any Celtic or folk harper should have in her/his arsenal; even concert harpists would like this, and if you play gigs at weddings or other events, a lot of this music is great. Her arrangement of Skye Boat (a longstanding standard in any harper's repertoire and now made famous by Outlander--with some liberties) is easy, one page, and in the key of D, but the left hand is rich and full. It's lovely.

I really love this book and think that it's a great for all players.My review is about the actual product itself. I don't know how old the copy I received is, but I wouldn't have called it "New". The cover has a crease in it and the edges and corners look ragged. The binding does not lie flat and so you have to use force to keep it open. After a week I accidentally broke the binding and had to get it coil-bound.Nothing of a deal breaker, but I'm just warning people that the book you receive might not be in great condition and will be fragile.