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Irish Airs Vol.2 - Easter Snow
Irish Airs Vol.2 is a collection of Irish slow airs recorded on a 20-string wire-strung Irish harp.
The harp used for this album was built with Japanese hinoki wood and has a range one octave higher than the instrument used on Vol.1. Its clear, resonant sound brings a different kind of intimacy to the music.
The album features fifteen quiet airs, including old Irish melodies and love songs, as well as tunes that reflect themes of death and farewell, faith, and the world of fairies and the Otherworld.
Each piece stands on its own, yet when listened to in sequence, the album unfolds with a gentle, story-like flow.
All tracks were recorded using a single microphone, without any EQ, compression, or other sound processing. The natural resonance of the wire-strung harp and the transparency of its higher register are presented just as they are.
The background of the album and the stories behind each tune are gradually introduced in the podcast "Whispers of the Harp."
Performed, arranged, recorded, and built by a single musician, this album invites the listener to lean in and listen closely to the quiet voice of the harp and the flow of its melodies.
For detailed notes on each piece, please see: https://note.com/carolanacademy/n/n9785322eef2a (in Japanese)
Harps used on this album
Tracks 1, 4-15:
20-string wire-strung Irish harp "Dragon Harp" (op.311)
Built by Keisuke Teramoto
Japanese-style painting by Tomoko Nakai
Tracks 2, 3:
20-string wire-strung Irish harp (op.342)
Built by Keisuke Teramoto
Keisuke Teramoto Wire-strung harp player & maker Born in Kyoto City, residing in Yokohama City. Studied harp under Koji Amada, neo-Irish harp under Masumi Sakaue, and musicology under Ryuichi Higuchi. Earned a Doctor of Arts (Meiji Gakuin University Graduate School) through research on Irish harp music before the 18th century. Teaches harp in Yokohama and Kyoto, having instructed over 400 students. Since 2014, he has independently designed and crafted more than 347 harps (as of April 2025) . Since March 22, 2024, he has been uploading daily performance videos featuring his handcrafted harps at 6:00 PM on YouTube. www.youtube.com/@telynmoto