Northern Colorado Summer Harp Festival
11th Annual
Once Upon A Time...
Presents
July 23rd - 29th, 2023
Held at Immanuel Lutheran Church
in Loveland, CO
At the 11th Annual
Northern Colorado Summer Harp Festival
Experience Wonderful Music, Friendship, and a Common Bond of Love for all things Harp!
We are super excited to hold the 11th Annual NoCo Summer Harp Festival.
Our festival theme this year is
"Once Upon a Time..."
Harp ensemble participants (youth, teen, adult) will have the opportunity to play a diverse program of music with selections inspired by many different fantasy and historical sources featuring beautiful harmonies, some well known melodies, and exciting guest instrumentalists!
Harpists of all ability/skill levels are encouraged to join in the fun. In each of the three ensembles, the music is assigned to the harpist based on their current ability and comfort level. The goal for the week is to work on stretching musical creativity and will help to build performance confidence while playing in a relaxed ensemble setting.
There will be several interactive workshops held during the week and a harp concert on
Friday, July 28th at 6:00pm. (Outside participants welcome for just these events)
See more information below about the amazing workshops and the Friday & Saturday Night Concert details.
After a full week of harp intensive classes and rehearsals, all festival ensembles come together on Saturday evening to present an exciting Harp Extravaganza Concert that is open to the public.
Artistic Director and Conductor: Alaina Bongers
Original Artwork by Lia Rudeen
Come Join in the Music
Prerequisites
Ages: 8 through Adult (No upper age limit for adults)
One year or more of harp lessons (no audition is required)
Bring your own lever or pedal harp to play
(Harps will be locked up securely overnight, so no need to haul a harp every day)
Other Information to "Note"
All Workshops are included in the Ensemble Registration
.
Outside participants are welcome to attend the workshops and a separate registration can be found below.
Music for each of the three different harp ensembles is sent out shortly after the registration is received and will be collected again at the end of the festival. You are welcome to write notes on the copy if needed.
Festival Ensemble Music needs to be prepared and ready to rehearse with the other ensemble members by the first rehearsal
Harp Teachers! If you have a student who registers for a Harp Festival Ensemble, you can participate in the Adult Ensemble at no cost.
Since this is a "day camp", we encourage harpists to carpool if you are coming from further away. We do not organize the carpool, but we would be happy to possibly put you in touch with another harpist from your area who has registered for the festival. If you are interested in finding out more please contact us by clicking HERE.
Schedule
All Festival Events are held at Immanuel Lutheran Church
4650 Sunview Dr, Loveland, CO 80538
Sunday - Friday, July 23 - 29, 2023
Daily three hour intensive harp ensemble rehearsals
Youth Ensemble (age 8-12)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday (24th) - Friday (28th)
Teen Ensemble (age 13 – 18)
1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Monday (24th)
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday - Friday*
Adult Ensemble (age 18 – adult)
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Sunday (23rd) - Tuesday
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Wednesday
6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Thursday
7:45 – 8:45 p.m. Friday* Harp Move & Sound Check After the Concert
*(time changes due to the workshops and Concert)
Tuesday - Thursday, July 25-27 : 4:30-5:30 p.m. Interactive Workshops with Special Guest Harpists (See more info below)
Friday, July 28th: 6pm Harp Concert (Guest Artists TBA)
Saturday, July 29th: Combined Ensemble Dress Rehearsal & Concert Performance
All Ensembles Dress Rehearsal 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Harp Extravaganza Ensemble Concert 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
(This is a free concert and open to the public, so invite your family and friends.)
Cost
Festival Ensemble Registration $320
(Ensemble Registration includes all three workshops)
What a deal for over 20 Hours of Instruction time!
Registration for this event is refundable (minus processing fees) up to June 11, 2023.
After June 11, 2023 only half of the registration cost will be refunded.*
*In light of COVID 19, the participants health and safety is of upmost importance. If there are any major changes to the gathering guidelines due to COVID 19 these will be taken under advisement. If this event has to be postponed or cancelled due to changes in the guidelines, 85% of the registration fee will be refunded as the remaining 15% covers operating expenses.
Photos from Past NoCo Harp Festivals
Register for the Youth, Teen,
or Adult Ensemble
(All three workshops are included in the Ensemble Registration)
What Harpists are Saying about the
Noco Summer Harp Festival
Joy H. Says...
“I have participated in Harp Festival (adult ensemble) for three years in a row. It has definitely helped me become a more proficient musician. I have really improved in the area of playing with other harpists, understanding rhythm more succinctly and learning new pieces more quickly. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who is interested in improving their musicianship and making new harp friends!”
Malia R. Says...
“Harp festival is amazing because it allows harpists from all over the area to collaborate and meet one another. I love the music that we get to play in ensembles, and the learning that comes along with it.”
Emily J. Says...
“I have participated in harp festival for four years, both in the youth and teen ensembles. I love meeting fellow harpists and playing new songs with them. The pieces we learn are interesting and fun while also improving skills like rhythms and counting. Alaina is a wonderful teacher to work with and she makes sure that everyone has fun while we learn.”
Lily P. Says...
“The music is so accessible for the diverse group of harpists that participate to feel comfortable about what they are playing. I love how much thought Alaina puts into selecting music for the ensembles to play and her arrangements are always fun to play as well!
Also, the guest artists that come in are wonderful as they offer a fresh perspective and teach us something new about the harp that we never knew before.”
Three Interactive Workshops
Don't Despair, Be Prepared!
You have been just been asked to play for an big event or just for a group of friends, what do you do? (Besides Panic) In this workshop we will cover topics such as repertoire selection, what goes in your gig bag, contracts, what to charge, performance strategies, creating the perfect mood, and much more!
ALL LEVELS (Pedal or Lever Harp)
Tuesday July 25th, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Can you play for...?
Wednesday July 26th, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Building on the the previous days topic of preparing for all types of gigs, we will role play several different performance scenarios. From Weddings, to Background Music, to Even Just Playing for a Group of Friends or Someone You Just Met, we will practice performance strategies by acting as harpist and "annoying" guests for these events. There will be 3 or 4 harpist role spots available for a participant to play and we will need everyone else to help with creating the "perfect" gig environment.
If you are interested in playing during this workshop please contact Alaina Bongers.
ALL LEVELS (Bring Pedal or Lever Harp)
Workshop with
Deborah Henson-Conant
Thursday July 27th, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Special Guest Harpist Deborah Henson-Conant will be teaching a virtual interactive workshop on the power of Following your Creative Path, Building Creative Resonance, and Meeting your Muse.
ALL LEVELS (Both Pedal and Lever Harp)
Workshop Only Registration
Not able to attend the whole week as an ensemble member, but still interested in attending one or more of the interactive workshops?
Outside Participants are welcome and we encourage you to attend the workshops and concerts! You can register for one or two of the workshops à la carte ($25 each) or you can take advantage of the combo discount and attend all three workshops for $60. Simply click on the links below to register for the workshop(s) of your choice.
While we encourage harpists to bring their harps to each of the interactive workshops, you may also attend without your harp and just experience the class. These classes are for both lever and pedal harpists of all ages and experience levels, so sign up today!
Questions? Contact Alaina Bongers at harprevelations142@gmail.com
Our Special Guest Harpist
Deborah Henson- Conant
Deborah Henson-Conant (“DHC”) considers herself an ambassador to the world of music and imagination. She’s a GRAMMY®-Nominated recording artist and the world’s premier electric harpist. She’s known for her high energy shows, evocative singing and multi-layer looping, her fusion of music and theater – and for transforming the classical harp into a “Body Harp” by shrinking it down, strapping it on and plugging it in. Her music combines Blues, Latin, Folk, Classical and Musical Theater. She creates one-woman shows, solo concerts – and also arranges and performs her work with symphony orchestra.
She’s opened for Ray Charles at Tanglewood, toured as the Boston Pops’ featured soloist and jammed onstage with guitar legends from Steve Vai to Mason Williams. She’s been called the “Jimi Hendrix of the harp” (Steve Vai), “a cross between Leonard Bernstein and Xena, Warrior Princess” (Boston Globe).
The front rows of her shows are often filled with parents who bring their children to see what it means to passionately follow your own creative path.
Harp Concerts
Friday July 28th at 6:00 p.m.
Immanuel Lutheran Church in Loveland, CO
Join us on Friday July 28th for a Harp Concert featuring our special guest musicians. This concert is open to the public and you do not need to purchase tickets in advance. We are simply asking for a free will offering at the door.
Questions? Contact Alaina Bongers at harprevelations142@gmail.com
Saturday July 29th
at 6:00 p.m.
Immanuel Lutheran Church
in Loveland, CO
Harp Extravaganza Concert featuring our festival ensembles playing a program of music from "Once Upon a Time" This concert is FREE and open to the public. You do not need to purchase tickets in advance.
Questions? Contact Alaina Bongers at harprevelations142@gmail.com
COVID 19 Safety Precautions
We take our participants safety and health very seriously! We will continue to monitor current guidelines and follow the current safety recommendations.
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We will do our best to space harps and harpists out to maintain some social distancing.
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Masks or Facial Coverings are currently optional to be worn by participants, guest artists, and the ensemble conductor during rehearsals and workshops.
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We ask all participants to wash their hands before entering the rehearsal space and hand sanitizer will also be available in the rehearsal spaces as well.
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We ask all participants to please be considerate of your fellow harpists and not attend rehearal, workshops, or the concert if you are not feeling well. Especially if you have a fever of 100 degrees or higher or have any other COVID-19 symptoms (or within the past 72 hours) we ask that you do not attend the rehearsal or workshop.
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A signed Medical Release Waiver and COVID-19 Release Waiver Form will be required in order to participate in the Festival.