Finnish Nyckelharpa Gathering

Kontrabasharpa, left; Finnish Esseharpa, right. 
4 makes of nyckelharpas, and 2 older variants
 (far left)
Today I had the joy of attending one of the first nyckelharpa informational gatherings in Finland, with a lecture by my nyckelharpa colleague and friend Saana. She mentioned to me beforehand that many nyckelharpa players in Finland are spread out, and interest is growing but many people do not know where or how to get a nyckelharpa (not so different from the USA!) It was very cool to see so many makes of nyckelharpas in one room, including a kontrabasharpa and esseharpa (Finnish), and hear the differences in sound and handling. It was fun playing a harpa by Hasse Gille, a rare find! He also built the kontrabasharpa shown above. 

 

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