Prima Facie Records

As My Harp Sang Out of Darkness (PFCD139) £12.50

Jane Ford performs arrangements for Celtic Harp by Ronald Stevenson

1. What the Fairy Harper Told Me (from ‘3 Scots Fairy Tales’)
2. Harp of Gold
3. The Ash Grove
4. Hal-an-Tow
5. A Fairy’s Love Song
6. The Sheep Under the Snow
7. Savoureen Delish
8. The Cockle Gatherer
9. Tune from County Derry
10. Eriskay Love Lilt
11. Ben Dorain
12. La Basse-Bretonne
13. The Old Woman’s Reel
14. L’Aneglus Breton
15. The Christ Child’s Lullaby
16. Song for John MacLeod of Dunvegan
17. Lament for the Lost Harp Key
18. Lonely Monday
19. Wednesday’s Remembrance
20. Song to MacLeod of Dunvegan
21. The Fiddler’s Contempt
22. Lament for Rory’s Sister
23. Lude’s Supper

Tracks 2-15 from 'Sounding Strings'
Tracks 16-23 from 'Rory Dall Morrison’s Harp Book'

"Her playing is sensitive and thoughtful... My abiding memory is that of the final movement in Sounding Strings, the 'Christ Child’s Lullaby', here played with exquisite rhythmic poise and tonal refinement." Geoffrey Atkinson, British Music Society

"The playing and performances, achieved under lockdown conditions... are both superb – as indeed is the quality of the recording by the harpist herself in a grateful acoustic... this disc should be heard both by all fans of Stevenson’s music and of the Celtic harp." Paul Corfield Godfrey, MusicWeb International."

As a pianist, Jane Ford has performed throughout Britain and abroad for solo recitals and concertos, broadcast on television and radio, and won numerous awards in International Competitions. Alongside her performing and recording experience on piano, Jane has performed throughout the UK on her lever harp, celebrating the Celtic History of harp music.

When the terrifying Covid-19 global pandemic hit the Earth in 2020 and Europe entered lock-down, Jane wanted to use her musical experience, talent and imagination to create a very special Harp album, to send out a message of hope and comfort, and to be a light in the darkness during a difficult time.

When selecting repertoire for this album, Jane turned to the outstanding compositions of Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015). With a Scottish father and a Welsh mother, Stevenson was “...keenly aware of his Celtic heritage” (The Stevenson Society) and his Celtic Harp arrangements are a contemporary take on ancient melodies and traditions, providing a thrilling and unique interpretation of traditional tunes from Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales and Brittany.

Recorded and produced entirely behind closed doors, and with contactless distribution of all performances and photography, this beautiful album is testimony to the power of creativity to flourish in the face of disaster. It is also a fitting tribute to the works of a truly Great British Composer and a glorious salute to the Celtic History of the Harp.

Recorded and performed by Jane Ford, harp, during April - June 2020 ‘Lockdown’
Cover image by Donna Ford
Mastered by Phil Hardman
Produced by Steve Plews

Described by the ‘Times’ as ‘gifted’ and by ‘Music and Vision Magazine’ as ‘spellbinding’, Jane Ford is a musician of both passion and sensitivity. Her extensive performing career has included performances throughout Britain and abroad, at venues such as the Palau de la Musica (Valencia), the Palais D’Alan (France) and in London: St John’s Smith Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Purcell Room, where she performed a World Premiere. Jane regularly appears as soloist for concertos, and in recent years has performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, all 5 Beethoven Concertos and Mozart’s ‘Coronation’ Concerto with the St. John’s Festival Orchestra in Chester. Jane has won numerous prizes at International competitions and broadcast on both television and radio, including a recital for BBC Radio 3.