Land of the Long White Cloud SERIES by Anna Dunwoodie PDF Downloads

For lever or pedal harp.

The Polynesian explorer Kupe called New Zealand The Land of the Long White Cloud when he first saw it from his waka (canoe). Aotearoa is the Maori word which means land of the long white cloud.

The music in these 4 books was written by Kiwi composer Anna Dunwoodie. The music is dedicated to her family and friends all over the world. She was inspired to write these tunes by listening to visiting musicians and traveling to other countries.

All the music is suitable for intermediate lever harp players. While each piece is written as a solo, there are also a few pieces that have an optional melody line. The pieces range from 3 sharps to 3 flats, with only the occasional (very occasional!) lever change within the music, or moving from one tune to the next in a set. There are no fingerings. See the bottom of this page for a few samples from each volume.

Here's how Anna describes these books.

Land of the Long White Cloud, Volume 1
These pieces all have stories attached. While I'm fond of them all, I think my favourite is Madam Vinegar – a somewhat difficult person who imposed on everyone attending a four-day harp ensemble workshop. She really impacted on the atmosphere and so I decided to write a beautiful air for her to right the balance of the universe! This tune flows really well into The Sonsie Lass – a tune for the buxom lassies that my wee lads used to snuggle up to in concerts and at late night ceilidhs. The PDF of Volume 1 is 14 pages, including 11 pages of music.
Vol. 1 Contents: The Copper Rose (waltz), Telynor (air), Madam Vinegar (waltz), The Sonsie Lass (slow jig), Windmill Road (slow reel), As He Gently Breathes (air)

Land of the Long White Cloud, Volume 2
I don't really believe in ghosts, but the tune Always There is a tribute tune to two of my lovely uncles, and my darling great Aunty Sybil, who often came to chat to me in my dreams, and I would wake bemused or distressed. So I decided to counter this by writing them a tune, convincing both them, and me, that they would always be important, and 'always there' but that they didn't need to visit me. It worked! It has been a very special tune to me ever since I wrote it. The PDF of Volume 2 is 15 pages, including 13 pages of music. (This book was revised in 2019. This is the new second edition.)
Vol. 2 Contents: The Heron (Waltz), The Stewart Island Slow Jig, Miss Laura Robertson (jig), The Lad's Annual Waltz, Planxty Rosemary (waltz), Always There (air)

Land of the Long White Cloud, Volume 3
Waikikamukau is a legendary (or mythical) town in the back hills somewhere in New Zealand. I imagined it as a town full of cowboys, sheep shearers, bushmen and dust . . . where a western themed tune would be a suitable soundtrack to the scene. This is just a bit of fun, albeit a little challenging in parts. There is more information about the people and places behind the tunes at the front of the book.
The PDF of Volume 3 is 13 pages, including 10 pages of music. (This book was revised in 2019. This is the new second edition.)
Vol. 3 Contents: Waikikamukau Western Waltz, The Fallen Apple (lament), Mweenish (air), Jamie's Hiccups (hornpipe), Peter Stewart (air), My Stray Cat (jig).

Land of the Long White Cloud, Volume 4
Skerryvore was written after reading a fantastic book on Robert Louis Stevenson's life, and his family passion and work in building lighthouses around the UK. Skerryvore was one of these lighthouses.
The PDF of Volume 4 is 11 pages, including 8 pages of music.
Vol. 4 Contents: West Park Waltz, Skerryvore (air), Vinegar Hill (air), Bev's Fancy (reel), Fru Sally (reel), Mrs Raewynn Robertson (air)

Click on the blue titles below to see a sample of the first few lines of music.