Album Notes

Ellen Tepper~Celtic harp
Ray Duffy~Guitar


Ellen Tepper began studying classical harp at age 8 in Vienna, Austria and graduated from Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (now part of the University of the Arts) with a degree in Harp Performance. An independent musicology scholar, she performs on historical and modern harps. A phenomenal Celtic harpist, she has worked with many early music and dance ensembles and is in demand as a lecturer, teacher and performer.

Ray Duffy is a Philadelphia native and a self-taught musician with 50 years of experience playing various fretted instruments (mainly guitar and 5-string banjo). His style of “finger-picked” guitar is a perfect complement to Ellen’s harp playing. Ray currently plays in several bands including the Philadelphia Blue Grass Band, the Acoustic League of Justice and along with Ellen, the Tom Gala Band.

Together, Ray and Ellen produce a sound that is quite complex on a technical level and at the same time, very accessible to the listener. Merging folk and classical influences they have found the way off the printed page and into the “Space Between the Strings”–their first recording project, 14 tunes from the 16th to 20th centuries. The colorful interplay between the two musicians creates and intricate, seamless blending of the harp and the guitar making them sound like one instrument.



Program and Notes

La Paloma
Sebastian Yradier (1809-1865) a Spanish composer who spent his later life in Cuba, wrote a lot of the hot hits of the 1850's.

Moran’s Return
An Irish traditional tune learned from a cassette sent to me for use as a wedding processional. Fearing “Weather Channel Music” I listened to the tape. Both cursing and blessing my ear training teachers I wrote out this beautiful melody.

Someone to Watch Over Me
From the musical “Oh! Kay” by George Gershwin, a bold foray into the 20th century for me.

Inis Oirr
One of the three Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, this is one of the most emotional tunes in the Irish traditional repertoire.

Lady Laiton’s Almain
John Dowland (1563-1626) English lutenist and composer during the time of Elizabeth I, but never at her court.

Greensleeves
A musical form called “La Romanesca” reports that attribute it to Henry VIII’s courtship of Anne Boleyn are probably false. It was licensed for publication 1583 and in 1865 was turned into the Christmas Carol “What Child Is This”

The New Land
Otis Tomas wrote this tune when he first moved to Cape Breton Island. It hints of sadness for things left behind and hope for dreams to be yet realized.

Midnight On The Water
A Texas Waltz by Luke Thomasson, now regarded as traditional

I Will
By Lenon and McCartney from the Beatles White Album

The Mermaid
This waltz was written by Bob McQuillen, noted composer and player of contradance music, inspired by the Irish Session at the Mermaid Inn.

Carrickfergus
A wistful Irish song of drunken longing and homesickness.

Drunk at Night and Dry In the Morning
from the 1830 publication “The Complete Repository of Scottish Music” which contains the “standard” repertoire of the day.

Yellow Bird
A Calypso song made famous by Harry Belafonte during the Calypso Craze of the 1950's.

All Through the Night
A traditional Welsh lullaby.


Ellen Tepper~Celtic harp
Ray Duffy~Guitar

All arrangements by Tepper and Duffy

www.ellentepper.com

www.phillybluegrassband.com