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Harpers Hall makes its home in the San Francisco South Bay Area and Central California Coast. Our purpose is to promote an appreciation of the folk harp, to cultivate its living musical tradition, and to preserve the fun and magic of the harp for members and for the general public. To that end, we hold numerous events throughout the year, from harp jams to house concerts, festival performances to yearly weekend retreats. Journey through Harpers Hall to discover an enchanting world of harpers and learn their songs and their stories. Here you will meet many of the revelers, see the various lands they travel to, and find out how to join.

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Harpers Hall Calendar

Last update: November 8, 2025

Details of these events and gatherings (including address and phone numbers of gathering locations) are published in the Harpers Hall newsletter, The Reel Fling. Yearly subscription includes the newsletters and much more. Join us in the enchanting world of harps.

Most of our gatherings are on the third Sunday of the month. Exceptions are noted in red.

We have some dates set for 2026 but are working on finding hosts and workshops for many of these months. Harpers Hall members, please contact Verlene if you are willing to host or lead a workshop!

2025 November | December |

2026 January | February |March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

    November
  • 16th  1:30 -6:00 pm Gathering at Laurann Golden's home in Campbell. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Stretching a Tune" by Verlene Schermer. Here’s how to stretch a simple 60 second tune into a 3 minute arrangement that is interesting to play, and interesting to listen to! We’ll look at two tunes, one Celtic and one Christmas, with a simple left-hand arrangement, and use my bag of tricks and tools to develop each into a performance piece.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 rehearsal of the Christmas music in preparation for Concerts in December. A set list will be sent via groups.io. A second rehearsal will take place before the Yule Party.

    December

  • 2:30 - 3:30 pm 2nd rehearsal for Christmas concerts at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose.
  • 7th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Yule Party at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. No workshop, and no zoom for this one.
  • 16th 10:00 - 11:00 am Harpers Hall Ensemble Christmas Concert at AARP's Christmas meeting. 1 W. Campbell Ave. #C-31 Campbell, CA 95008 (in the Roosevelt Room Q80). 
  • 19th 7:30 - 8:30 Harpers Hall Ensemble Christmas Concert at UUCPA (Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto) located at 505 East Charleston Ave., Palo Alto 94306.

January 2026

  • 25th 1:30 - 6 pm (Note change of date to 4th Sunday!) Gathering at Calli Morrow's home in Portola Valley (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Latin American Music" by Amelia Romano. The harp plays a central role in Latin American history and culture - the national instrument of Paraguay and an essential ingredient to mariachi music, I fell in love with the syncopated rhythms found in Latin American music, when I was a child. This workshop will dive into the popular Venezuelan work, Moliendo Cafe, offering tips for learning and retaining syncopated patterns. I will also touch upon improvisation, a central ingredient of the Latin American folk tradition.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 Concert by Amelia! Note change of schedule!
    • 5:00 - 6:00 works-in-progress. 
      •

    February

  • No monthly gathering -- come to our retreat instead!
  • 20th - 24th from 3:00 Friday through 11 am Tuesday Harpers Hall Retreat-from-the-World. Join Harpers Hall and find more information in our Harpers Hall newsletter and groups.io.

    • March

  • 15th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Kevin and Carol Holsinger's home in Mountain View. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00 "Harps of the World, Part 2" by Cathleen O'Connell. Let’s pick up where we left off in our Random Harps of the World tour: Mexico-Veracruz and Chiapas, and then back across the sea to the Gaelic harps housed in the National Museums of Ireland and Scotland, ending with some African harps, and one Vietnamese harp, and some reflections on what many global harp styles may have in common, and the wonderful wild proliferation of ways to make a harp, and harp music.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire or do an improv circle!

  • 19th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Dell Petersen's home in Fremont. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Playing Round" by Jacqueline Lynaugh. Also known as catch, canon, rota, or roundel, we will put fingers to strings and explore the resonance, contrapuntal harmonies, and harmonics that occur with this simple, horizontally based music form.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire or do an improv circle!

    May

    July

  • 19th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Annual Summer Party at Kevin and Carol Holsinger's home in Mountain View. No workshop, and no zoom for this one.

    • August

  • 16th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
  • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: Whole Body Harping by Verlene Schermer. Playing harp doesn’t just involve the hands and arms! The arms are connected to the shoulders, which connect to the upper back, which is connected to the whole spine, which is connected… You get the picture. We’ll look at how to be aware of how the whole body is supporting us to play more fluidly, with more freedom, and with less effort!
  • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
  • 4:00 - 4:30 works-in-progress. (shorter so we have more time for our Pleasanton rehearsal)
  • 4:30 - 6:00 rehearsal of the games repertoire in preparation for the Pleasanton Scottish Games. Check your August Fling for set list.
    • 20th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Laurann Golden's home in Campbell. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
      • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: TBA
      • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
      • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in progress.
      • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire or do an improv circle!

      October

      December

    • 6th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Yule Party at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. No workshop, and no zoom for this one.


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