Celtic toothing-stone

The Celtic toothing-stone is the Harpe used in Ireland and Scotland to accompany the traditional music. She enjoys a rather recent renewal of popularity in Brittany, since the Fifties. Smaller than the toothing-stone in concert, it is more handy. It has a clean repertory born of the time when it was the instrument of the travelling musicians.

Characteristics

The Celtic toothing-stone is a primarily widespread old musical instrument in the Celtic countries: Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the area of Brittany in France. its curved column makes it recognizable between all the toothings-stone. It generally has 32 to 38 cords. Nowadays, the cords are generally in Nylon, but one finds also instruments assembled with bronze cords, out of steel, carbon fiber or bowel (of sheep).

blocks (or pallets) still called " leviers" , fixed close to the upper part of each cord, allow to modify the height of a semitone to play deteriorations (sharps/flat). One generally grants the Celtic toothing-stone in major E flat with the blocks in low position, which then makes it possible to play in the Tonalité S having up to four sharps or three flat.

The Celtic toothing-stone corresponds to a whole Irish, Scottish and Breton repertory traditional, but it also adapts to traditional and contemporary repertories (jazz, new old , modern music…). It accompanies the song soloist ideally. Its small size makes an instrument of choice of it to begin the training from the toothing-stone to pedals, although it has a technique of clean play, different from the play on traditional toothing-stone.

The Celtic toothing-stone is an instrument with soft and harmonious sonority, expressing in turn the gaity, the melancholy or the daydream.

History

In Ireland between XIIe and XVe century, the blind people who could not take part in usual work were then directed towards the spinning of the straw to fill the cushions with chairs or, one taught the toothing-stone to them. The blind men were numerous among the harpists of the time and often of very good players and type-setters because not having the sight, their directions of the touch and hearing were much développés.le type-setter O' Carolan was him even blind. Of this fact much of works were transmitted only by oral examination and a very great number of them disappeared today.

Revival in Brittany

Gildas Taldir-Jaffrenou
Jord Cochevelou
Denise Mégevand

Famous instrumentalists

Mythical

The Dagda, god-druid of the Celtic Mythology, is also the guardian god of the musicians and for this reason it has a magic toothing-stone which with the characteristic to know all the melodies of the music and being able to play them all alone, on request of the god.

Old

Turlough O' Carolan, born in 1670, most known of the harpist professionals of Ireland, contemporary and admiror of Vivaldi. Its death is generally regarded as marking the decline of the harpistic tradition in Ireland, no matter what the Festival of Belfast, 50 years joined together 10 harpists later, still, all old. Its compositions still are very played by the current harpists.
Ruairi Dall O' Cathain another harpist plugs Irish born about 1570 and deceased about 1650. Would have been used at the court of Jacques Ier as England. It left us a work less abundant than O' Carolan, but some of its parts, in particular Tábhair dom C Lámh (me the hand Gives) remain traditional traditional repertory.

Contemporaries

Alan Stivell, Breton which, with his/her father, Jord Cochevelou, made reappear the Celtic toothing-stone on the continent and caused an renewed interest in the other Celtic countries and the world.
Myrdhin, Breton in the name of Welsh scene, founder of the International meetings of Celtic Toothing-stone which proceed each year with Dinan (Coasts of Armor). The site of Myrdhin
Beautiful Derek (1935-2002), Irish member of the group “ Chieftains ”.
Loreena McKennitt, Canadian of Irish origin, celebrates for its “World Celtic Music”.
Dominig Bouchaud, first traditional price of toothing-stone to the Conservatory Higher National of Paris, type-setter and Celtic professor of toothing-stone at the national school of music of Quimper.
the Quefféléant brothers, of the Breton group Triskell.
Katrien Delavier (1961-1998), originating in the north of France
And also: Mariannig Larc' hantec, Kristen Nogues, Violaine Mayor, Francoise Cornwell, Sedrenn; in the USA: Kim Robertson,…

Armelle Gourlaouën is one of the only harpist in France to be played of three different toothings-stone in concert. It uses the traditional toothing-stone, the Celtic toothing-stone and the toothing-stone troubadour.

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