By Carolyn Lund
Students walking through the basement corridors of the Harris Fine Arts Center hear a myriad of sound, from crashing cymbals and vocal arpeggios to rich organ chords. But one hallway sounds a little different ? it is where some 30 musicians at BYU go to practice the harp.
While the instrument is not typically considered common, in Utah the population of harpists is burgeoning. Anamae Anderson, director of the BYU harp ensemble, said Utah has the most harpists per capita than any other state.
?A lot of it has to do with culture,? Anderson said, who estimated there are about 500 harpists who live between Spanish Fork and Ogden. ?There is a big focus on music in Utah. The harp population has really grown during the past 10 years.?
It was this growth that prompted Shrudeli Ownbey, former director of the BYU harp department, to form a harp ensemble in 1997. One of its purposes was to give non-music majors the opportunity to perform and gain experience in a group setting.
?Harpists don?t have many opportunities to play in ensembles,? said Anderson, a BYU alumna in her first semester directing the ensemble. ?It gives students a venue to perform, to learn those skills by playing in a group.?
This Saturday, the harp ensemble will showcase their skills in a concert featuring various dance pieces. Kate Sonne, a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., is in her ninth semester with the ensemble. She said the upcoming concert is a rare opportunity to hear and see many harps in one place.
?Not many people have the chance to hear live harp music, and this is unique because it?s a group of harpists on stage,? said Sonne, a broadcast journalism major. ?It?s been nice to be in a group to work toward a performance every semester.?
The concert will feature both solo and ensemble pieces, performed by 28 harpists from around the country with a range of skill levels.
Angela Doxey, a freshman from Salt Lake City, has played the harp for six years. Joining the ensemble for the first time this semester, Doxey said the group provides an opportunity to keep up with practicing.
?I practice a lot more at college,? said Doxey, adding that everyone is required to practice individually for six hours a week. ?The ensemble gives me things to work toward, to remind me that I can do better.?
Though the ensemble has only existed for a few years, it has already made an impact in the worldwide harp community. Anderson said every harp concert at BYU is filmed by the International Harp Archives, which is centered in the Harold B. Lee Library. These recordings are accessible to other states and colleges as an example of a successful ensemble program.
Anderson said BYU is one of the few universities that has a harp ensemble, much less 30 participating harpists. BYU owns 4 pedal harps, an impressive inventory when considering harps can cost up to $50,000.
Students interested in learning to play the harp are encouraged to enroll in Music 160R. No experience is necessary. Enrollment in harp lessons automatically enrolls students in the harp ensemble, which rehearses several times each semester.
Saturday?s concert is free and will be held in the Madsen Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Anderson advised people to come 15-30 minutes early to get a seat, as past concerts have been packed.