We Are Harps North West
Harps North West is a registered charity whose main aim is to promote playing, teaching and appreciation of the harp.
We offer lots of exciting opportunities for people in North West England to learn more about this beautiful and fascinating instrument.
We aim to enable more people to enjoy the harp in its various forms: from the inexpensive "cardboard" lap-harp to the glorious concert harp and everything in between, but especially the lever harp which is also known as the folk harp or clarsach.
Most of our members, teachers and players live in
Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire, where we organise workshops, playing groups, skills sessions and our Summer Harp Festivals.
We hope that you enjoy your visit to our site, and that the harp will capture your imagination as it did ours!
COME AND TRY THE HARP!
We run an Absolute Beginners workshop which is open to anyone who would like to try their hand at the harp. No musical experience necessary! So if you've always wanted to have a go, or know someone who might be keen click here for more info.
NEXT BEGINNERS' SESSION -
20th September 2025
arr. 1.15 for1.30 - 4pm
Skelton Toppin nr.Penrith
£30
Contact us to register your interest and receive notifications.
Click here for a link to the application forms and send an email us on
Notice Board
Our Next Events
Tuesday 13th May - Zoom
7.30 - 9pm
Introduction to the Summer Celebration Pieces
with Mary or Susan
Link and music will be sent out to all HNW members
31st May
Joint Session with D&G Clarsach Branch
Guest Tutor Workshop:
Rachel Hair
10 - 3pm £20
The Richard Greenhow Centre, Central Avenue, Gretna, DG16 5AQ
Email Kirsty from D&G at
Kirsty1961@icloud.com to book your place.
Become a member of HNW
- Monthly Updates and quarterly newsletters of all the goings on at HNW.
- Free Monthly Skills and Playing Sessions and discounted Guest Tutor Workshops.
- Access to playing groups around the North West, supported by HNW.
- Opportunities for formal and informal performances and playing sessions.
- Social events organised by Harps North West for members, their families and friends.
- Opportunity to hire a harp from usfor a short fixed period (subject to availability) until you can buy one of your own.
- Join our committee and have your say on what exciting new projects we do in the future.
HNW membership
Adult £20 per annum
Under 18s £10
Family £25
Our role as a charity
Harps North West serves the general public in these ways:
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- We introduce absolute beginners of all ages to playing the harp at tutor-led Beginner Workshops.
- We promote and organise tutor-led Player Workshops and courses for harp players across a range of abilities.
These workshops and courses primarily are open to our subscribing members but some are also open to
non-members.
- We promote and provide harp playing performances, as informal recitals and as formal concert events open to the general public.
- We provide information to the public to promote the work of Harps North West.
News and Updates
Find out what we have been up to as a society and as individual harpists and all the exciting goings on in our harping community.
Workshops and Events.
Find out what exciting workshops and events we have coming up over the next year.
Becoming a Member
For our subscribing members our management committee promotes harp playing opportunities and social activities
Benefits of becoming a member:
- Playing groups
- Monthly Sessions
- Info & support in all things harp
- Access to Harp Hire
- Monthly News Letters
- Priority booking on Guest tutor workshops.
Online Leaning and Resources
Our JaNEWary Challenges will remain online for you to keep revisiting and learning, with expert guidance from one of our tutors Mary you can learn lots of new music with us.
We also have a section dedicated to links to all things harp, from suppliers to festivals and all things inbetween. You can find allsorts in our Harping Directory.
