Pacific Harp Project Archive

Pacific Harp Project = Works of Grandjany, Debussy, Ravel, Liszt & others – The Pacific Harp Project

by Audiophile Audition | Feb 22, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

Pacific Harp Project = MARCEL TOURNIER: Sonatine; MEGAN BLEDSOE WARD: Revenge of the Harpies; Portrait; Willow Waltz; Serafina; MARCEL GRANDJANY: Rhapsodie; CLAUDE DEBUSSY: Danse Sacree et Profane; MAURICE RAVEL; Introduction and Allegro; FRANZ LISZT: Un Sospiro; ALLAN WARD: First Take; Incognito – The Pacific Harp Project (Megan Bledsoe Ward, harp/Noel Okimoto, vibes/Jon Hawes, bass/Allan Ward, drums) – Pacific Harp Project, 60:00, (12/04/15) ***1/2: Very innovative combo and some delightful tunes. The Pacific Harp Project is mainly the brain child of harpist Megan Bledsoe Ward and husband and drummer Allan Ward. Their idea is simple and yet so refreshingly clever; to seek out or create new avenues for harp in a chamber setting – which is largely solo harp and rhythm section. This concept may sound rather weird but the results are pretty entertaining. We get some arrangements of harp “standards”  performed by the Wards that includes pieces most non-harpists know, such as the positively ethereal Danses Sacree et Profane of Debussy and the equally rapturous Introduction and Allegro of Ravel. (I happen to love both those pieces.) These combo renditions, only slightly “jazzed up”, work quite well and are beautiful in any guise. We also get a few transcriptions and […]