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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: February 11, 2024

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.

2024 January | February |March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

We have some dates set for 2025 but are working on finding hosts and workshops for many of these months. Harpers Hall members, please contact Verlene at info 'at' verlene.com if you are willing to host or lead a workshop!

2025 January | February |March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

    January 2024
  • 21st 1:30 - 6 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: "Improvising Fun" by Verlene Schermer. Improvisation can be used in many settings: providing music behind meditation; playing bedside music; waiting for your cue to start processional music, for creative expression, or simply for fun! We’ll cover some basic concepts of improvisation and apply some simple tools for both right hand and left hand (melody and accompaniment)! Your handouts will include these concepts and tools along with some easy chord progressions you can use in any application.
    • 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!

    February

  • 18th 1:30 - 6 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: "Quilt Music: Tips for Learning an Arrangement" by Jane Valencia. Why can it be so hard to learn an arrangement? This workshop will share approaches to working up your piece with an eye (and ear) to pattern, successive steps, and clusters of detail. Rather than using a "0 to 60 mph" approach (right hand, left hand, both hands in full together!), we'll block out and stitch the music into being, growing our ability to play it - and play with it -- in the process.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 Play more of our games repertoire!

March

  • 17th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Val Wann's home in Concord. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00 "Learn a Song in Irish (Gaelic)!" by Val Wann.  We'll learn a simple children's song from County Donegal. This will include a bit of insight into the Irish language and even a bit of history. We celebrate Ireland on St. Paddy's Day! Ceiliúaimid Éireann ar Lá fhéile Pádraig!
    • 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!
    • 4:30 - 6:00 "Simply Scottish" workshop with Rachel
    • 6:00 - 7:00 potluck dinner
    • 7:00 - 9:00 Concert by Rachel and her partner Ron Jappy (concert is open to members of the Holsinger's homeowner's association, harpers & family, and guests, so RSVP is required!)
  • There will be no regular monthly gathering on the 3rd Sunday. Instead, we'll have a mini-retreat on the 4th Sunday (which is Memorial Day Weekend.)

  • 25th 10 am - 9:00 pm Mini-Retreat! We are not holding a full weekend retreat this year, but are planning a one-day retreat, so be sure to put it on your calendar!

    It will be at Verlene Schermer’s home in San Jose, and will be loosely scheduled, with opportunities to share music we can play together, play in small groups or jam sessions, and prepare lunch and dinner together in the kitchen.  

    There are some musical art projects planned for those who would like to participate, plus a few group musical games.

    We’ll have lots of time to visit as well as make music together, and after dinner we’ll have a ceilidh, which is like our works-in-progress, where anything goes: play your harp, tell a joke, recite a poem, do a dance.

    We will spend most of the day in the sunroom, but there is also space in Verlene’s music room, living room, the studio in the garage, and outside on the patio for smaller groups to visit or play music.

    Spouses are welcome, and can join in the music circles, or listen, read, take a walk, or indulge in other “retreat” stuff.  

    Plan to bring something to share for lunch and for dinner. We usually potluck it, but if you know what you want to bring, you can let Verlene know. If you have a main dish for dinner, consider bringing something easy like chips or chocolate for your lunch offering, or vice versa. And plan to take home leftovers!

    Come for the whole day for a taste of our weekend retreats and, with luck, we can enjoy a full retreat in 2025! If you can only come in the afternoon, that’s fine too!

    RSVP and let Verlene know what time you plan to arrive: email verleneschermer@gmail.com or call 408-497-4789.

    June

  • 23rd 1:30 - 6:00 pm  Note: changed to the 4th Sunday to avoid Father's Day 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: "Don’t Fear the Lever! A Harper’s Strategies for Coping with Accidentals" by Barbary Grant. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to avoid, work around or embrace those pesky accidentals which pop up in so much pop music. We’ll break down and practice methods for incorporating seamless lever changes into performance. Handouts with musical examples and exercises will be provided. Please arrive with an adventurous and fun-loving spirit. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – FDR
    • 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!

    July

  • 21st 3:00 - 7:00 pm Annual Barbecue and Swim Party! at Susan Nguyen's home in Saratoga. (No zoom for this one.)
      • Schedule: We'll have a few hours to swim and visit, then barbecue and share potluck dishes, and end with casual playing together (our repertoire music, or tunes you'd like to share)

    August

  • 18th 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: "Roadmaps, Signs, and Symbols" by Verlene Schermer. Get a good feel for how to read all the directions on a leadsheet: Signs and symbols that indicate where to go and when; first, second, third endings; what the heck is a Coda; and what does DC al fine actually mean... (hint: it doesn't mean go to Washington DC and all will be fine...) We'll also cover terminology and ornament symbols used in sheet music for harp.
  • 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.
  • 31st Pleasanton Scottish Gathering & Games, Alameda County Fairground, The Harpers Hall Ensemble will be playing on stage in the Celtic Heritage area at 11:40 am and 3:00 pm. Solo sets will be at 10:10 am, 10:30 am, & 1:30 pm. The group will also have a booth in the area where you can try out harps, ask questions, find a teacher, or just hang out with the harpers!

      September
    • 22nd 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: DIY Harp Stringing and Harp Maintenance for Lever Harps by Portia Diwa. Do you know how to tie a harp knot? In this workshop, we will practice tying a harp knot, and review how to change a string. We will talk about types of harp strings, regulating sharpening levers, how to find or create a string chart, gentle harp refinishing. If you have a harp that needs some maintenance, feel free to bring your harp, strings, and questions. If you have questions before the workshop, email Portia.
      • 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
    • 20th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Val Wann's home in Concord.  (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
      • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Improvising in Medieval Dance Forms" by Cheryl Ann Fulton. Hello Fellow Harpers - I look forward to sharing with you some of my favorite Medieval Dance Forms including the Estampie as well as  how instrumental dances were and can be created from chansons in the formes fixes.  We will learn a few medieval pieces and then we will improvise and create our own Estampie of the Day. 
      • 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!

      November

    • 17th  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: "Winter Music" by Verlene Schermer. Every harper likely has a pile of Christmas music to pull out every November to polish up or re-learn for the holidays. But this workshop will give you some great tunes with a winter theme to add to your repertoire. The advantage is that they can be played all year round, since they aren't tied to Christmas. So, next year, you won't need to dust them off in order to play them, as you'll want to include them in your regular repertoire! We'll play (and sing some of them) and talk about how they can be introduced into your holiday performances.
      • 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

    • 7th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Yule Party at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. (Check groups.io calendar or November Fling for more info).
    • 14th 7:00 - 9:00 pm Harpers Hall Ensemble Christmas Concert at Bethel Lutheran Church, located at 10181 Finch Ave. (across the street from Cupertino High School.)
    • 17th 10:00 - 11:00 am Harpers Hall Ensemble Christmas Concert for AARP in the Campbell Community Center, located at 1 W. Campbell Ave., #C-31, in the Roosevelt Room, Q80.

    January 2025

    • 19th 1:30 - 6 pm 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: "Harps from Mesopotamia to China (With excursions to Africa and across Europe if time permits)" by Cathleen O'Connell. Cathleen has collected some interesting photos and lore of and about harps in her travels around the world, and some interesting lyres and zithers, too. Come see harps from Georgia (the country), Uzbekistan, China, Africa, Egypt, Europe, Mesopotamia, and maybe a few other places.
      • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
      • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire, or do an improv circle!

      February

    • No monthly gathering -- come to our retreat instead!
    • 20th - 23rd from 3:00 Thursday through 11 am Sunday Harpers Hall Retreat-from-the-World. Join Harpers Hall and find more information in our Harpers Hall newsletter and groups.io.

      • March

    • 16th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering Location TBA, 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!

    • 18th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering Location TBA, 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!

      July

  • 20th 3:00 - 7:00 pm Annual Barbecue Location TBA. Nno workshop, and no zoom for this one.
    •

    August

  • 17th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Verlene's home in San Jose. (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 - 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.
  • 30th Pleasanton Scottish Gathering & Games, Alameda County Fairground, The Harpers Hall Ensemble will be playing on stage in the Celtic Heritage area Times TBA. The group will also have a booth in the area where you can try out harps, ask questions, find a teacher, or just hang out with the harpers!

      September
    • 21at1:30 - 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: "Jane Austen and her music" by Sandra Fromm. Learn a few tunes from the music books of Jane Austen, quite a few of which were Scottish. We'll learn a couple of tunes that were handwritten by Jane, along with a couple that are included in the overall music collection held at Chawton House.
      • 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

    • 7th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Yule Party Location TBA. Nno workshop, and no zoom for this one.


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