"one of the leading contemporary performers on the instrument"         The Scotsman

Karen Marshalsay live at Celtic ConnectionsKaren Marshalsay uses fingernail technique on gut and wire-strung harps or clarsachs, specializing in the traditional music of Scotland and Latin America.  Her playing has developed through the folk world of feisean, festivals, workshops and instruction from such leading players as Bill Taylor and Alison Kinnaird (Scottish) and Bill Morgan and Rito Pedersen (Latin American).

 

COMPOSITION  
 As part of the prestigious Celtic Connections New Voices series Karen’s commission Journeying, written for three harps (Karen was joined by Bill Taylor & Heather Yule) and two percussionists (Davy Cattanach & Keith Bleasby) was performed at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 31 January 1999 to critical acclaim.  The piece was performed again in Glasgow Cathedral as part of Celtic Connections 2000, along with new works Promises to Keep and The Neo Gosteg, for harp and fiddle, (performed by the composer, Bill Taylor and Iain Fraser on fiddle).

Ida y Vuelta, for solo harp, was commissioned by the Northborough Harp Festival 2001 (now the Stamford Harp Festival), with assistance from the Arts Council of England. 

Karen was invited to take part in Distil 2 in March 2003, an initiative funded by the SAC and PRS Foundation, a retreat course for traditional musicians active in composition. Tutors were Tom Bancroft, Dave Heath and Dick Lee. This led to a rehearsal in 2004 of a short piece for chamber ensemble entitled Culross, based on music from the 1635 Scottish Psalter.
 Karen Marshalsay with Ardival Urquhart bray harp, photo by Ewan Weatherspoon.
A new piece based on the story of Thomas the Rhymer was premiered under the musical direction of Rick Taylor in the Distil Showcase on 20 October 2006 at the Tolbooth, Stirling. This featured a string section along with border pipes, accordion, soprano sax, bass clarinet, modern clarsach and bray harp.  A second piece, Winter Sun, in a more classical style, was performed by Mary McCarthy (piano) and Colin Steele (trumpet) at the Distil Showcase in November 2008. This year Karen will be focussing on the bray harp in a new piece The Forth Bridge, which will be performed by Karen and Mr McFall's Chamber on 23 October 2009.
 
In early 2004 Karen arranged the music, rehearsed and conducted The Scots Music Group Big Band,  a 'folk orchestra' run by ALP's Scots Music Group and open to all abilities ages 16+.
 
PERFORMANCE PROJECTS
Karen currently performs as a solo harper, i with flautist Eddie McGuire and with various other ensembles. She is exploring the interpretation of pibroch on the wire strung clarsach, working in conjunction with Allan MacDonald. This was initially as part of the Edinburgh International Festival's series From Battle Lines to  Bar Lines, August 2004.
 
Yatra, a collaboration for the Edinburgh Mela in 2008 featuring Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers, classical North Indian dhrupad singer Prakriti Dutta, tabla players, and Scottish pipers was recommissioned for the mela in 2009. The Scottish musicians included Allan MacDonald, Jenna Reid and Barnaby Brown. Indian classical dancers and visuals were added this year.
 
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE PROJECTS

 
Electro-acoustic performance at the RSAMD of a new work Sibilance, by Vivian Barty-Taylor for saxophone, clàrsach and live electronics. (Dec 2004)
 
Performing with the Tolbooth Sound Orchestra under the direction of Brian Irvine.
 
HARP & STORYTELLING DUO WITH HEATHER YULE : 1998-2000 A music, song and storytelling duo  which performed in the Edinburgh International Festival’s Scottish Harps series that year and recorded a track for the associated Greentrax CD. Other performances included Linlithgow Renaissance Fair, Scottish International’s TSB Hogmanay House, the Famous Grouse House (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Edinburgh Folk Club  and the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.  
 
THEATRE WORK: 1998 Touring with Theatre Highland’s production of Don Juan, performing Andy Thorburn’s score for clàrsach, cello and bass trombone. Also performed with Clyde Unity Theatre. 
 
AFRICAN INVOLVEMENT: 1996 Playing with Gambian kora player Seiko Susso and his band AfroMandin Sound at Edinburgh Fringe and Tribe of Doris Drumming Festival and traditional Ghanaian drumming band Kakatsitsi at various venues in Brixton and other parts of London. 
 
FESTIVAL APPEARANCES
Various festival and folk club performances including Celtic Connections, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Harp Festival,  Crawfordjohn Spring Fling, Stirling and Edinburgh Folk Clubs, Carrbridge Festival of Music, Tinto Folk Festival.
International festivals include Celtic Days on Lake Constance (Switzerland), St Chartier and the Irish Rhine Valley Association Feis Ceol, Vosges Mountains (France), Port Fairy and the National Folk Festival in Australia, and the Virginia Scottish Games (USA).  
 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Currently clarsach tutor at The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, Plockton High School.
  • Teaches an annual  Highland music clarsach course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig since August 2000.
  • Taught a Scottish Tunes class at the 2008 and 2009 Edinburgh International Harp Festival.
  • Other classes at the Harp Festival include a wire-strung course for beginners in 2006 and for players in 2009, a Scottish source material class (2004), and Latin American classes (1999-2001 and 2003-04).
  • Wire and bray harp tutor for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (2004-06).
  • Academic co-ordinator for the BA (Scottish Music) degree at the RSAMD (2002-04)
  • Delivered the BEd 1 Scottish Music lecture course at the RSAMD (2001-2007).
  • Involved in South Lanarkshire Council’s Traditional Music Project 1996-2001, teaching harp and tin whistle. 
  • Taught clarsach at the Mount Cameron PS Gaelic Unit.
  • Visiting tutor at Balnain House in Inverness (sponsored by the Clarsach Society),  at The Harpmaker’s Workshop in Fordyce, and at Gordonstoun School and Aberlour House. 
  • Taught at various feisean including Feis Spè, Feis Bharraigh, Feis dun Eidean, and the Gordon Gaitherin. 
  • Musical Director (1997/8) of Glasgow all-women drumming group SheBoom who recorded one of her pieces Weekend Pterodactyls on their CD Guid Wimmin.  
RESEARCH
Karen was Learning and Teaching Officer for the HOTBED project team of the RSAMD's Research Department, evaluating the use of networked digital sound resources in the teaching of traditional music (2001-04).
 
EXAMINING TRADITIONAL MUSIC
  • In 2005 Karen acted as consultant on traditional music  to the SQA, leading to the publication of teachers' resource material.
  • As part of her role as clarsach tutor at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music Karen is currently working with Trinity Guildhall in devising JAG exams in clarsach, and recital certificates  and diplomas in traditional instruments.
  • Clarsach adjudicator at the Royal National Mod in 2007 (Fort William) and 2009 (Oban).
  • Music judge at the Ballymena Traditional Music Festival, Virginia Scottish Games and various local mods.
  • Scottish harp examiner at the RSAMD.