2024 Harp Festival in Dinan, Brittany, France
In late June, 2024, we drove down to Brittany for a holiday. It’s such a beautiful part of France and the weather isn’t too hot in Summer. There’s lots of beautiful scenery, small coves, beaches, rolling landscapes, ancient forests linked to the legends of King Arthur and an ancient Celtic connection. We visited the castle in Vannes, with it’s beautiful gardens and markets and the fairy tale castle at Josselyn next to the river, medieval ports and then we decided to stay at the ancient town of Dinan in the north.
Dinan Harp Festival
We turned up for a few days to discover there was an annual harp festival on. Posters said ‘‘From the 10th to the 14th July the medieval city of Dinan will vibrate to the sound of harps for 40th edition of the International Celtic Harp Meetings. Since 1984, this event has been a must for all lovers of the Celtic harp’’
This was great as I had started learning to play the harp in 2022, so it gave me a chance to listen to performers and meet some wonderful French Harpists.
There were sessions throughout the festival, that went on over a few days from where harpists played outside on the streets, which was very magical as you wandered through this ancient town hearing the sound of the harp! You can hear it in this short film I made where I have added myself playing my own version of Tamsin Dearnley's 'Breton Style Dance'.
harpist sara buffler
‘‘After a year of living in Sweden, Sara Buffler offers a chance to discover Nordic traditional music. Songs in Swedish, Norwegian, or even Sami, the language of the Lapp people who herd reindeer...
Accompanying herself on the Celtic harp, Sara offers a sensitive and original interpretation. She strives to convey, with a touch of humor, her perception of the country's culture, culinary preferences, and some delightful and playful Swedish expressions!’’
I also happily paid to go see Sara Buffler perform, intrigued to hear Swedish Songs and Harp - ‘Sara Buffler, Swedish Songs and Harp ; Traditional Scandinavian music, Celtic harp, and singing’
Sara’s performance was in ‘Les Cloitre des Cordeliers’ originally constructed in 1251, a historical site of the Franciscan order and now a school with some of its original structures including the cloister and courtyard. The concert was in a hall and I sat right at the front.
As soon as she started playing, I was drawn in and completely mesmerised, it was absolutely beautiful to hear her play and sing. And even though it was in French, I laughed along as she was very captivating. She was gracious enough to apologise to me at the end as it hadn’t been in English, I really hoped to chat to her and discover where I can find some of her music as I would love to learn some of the tunes, alas my French is poor!
She kindly sent me some information to include in my short blog about her music - thank you Sara!
Here, in the YouTube video from her channel, you can listen to her play a Swedish Lullaby that has been passed down through the generations called’ Lilltåa, Tåtilla d'après Triakel’
Sara says ‘This song - a nursery rhyme first recites the names of the toes... Then it talks about a bell that rings, it rings on the wedding day, and will also ring when crossing the threshold.’
This is her website - http://www.sarabuffler.com/
There were many other performers and I recorded some short clips of two others, including Evan a young harpist and a local resident called Alan.
I also met a wonderful lady who makes harps - and not just any harps - they are incredibly beautiful. (more info to come)
The video is of Alan playing - I came across Alan playing beautiful, harmonious music on his harp in the old part of the city which goes down to the river. Alan, is a resident of Dinan and not there for the festival. He plays regularly in the old town and encourages passers-by to try - which I thought was remarkable and very kind. It was wonderful listening to him play his own music and watch people's delight when they played his harp.
The photo is of a passer having a chance to play on his harp which was really kind of him to give them that opportunity.
