For lever or pedal harp.
Here's how Bonnie Mohr describes this piece.
I arranged the traditional English melody "Scarborough Fair" for the 2022 Pasadena Camac Harp Festival. The three harp parts are written in Dorian mode. The key signature looks like the key of C, but Dm is the home chord. Harp 1 is the easiest part, written on the treble staff and carries the melody on the first and third verses. Harp 2 is the most difficult. It has long sweeping arpeggios with 16th notes at the beginning and end creating a dialogue between the different parts. Harp 3 has the melody in the second verse, played with the nails near the sounding board, designated with the French term "pres de la table" (pdlt). This section can be divided between the hands to make it easier. Some of the lyrics have been added when the part has the melody so that it's easier to follow along. The 3rd verse is a modified canon. Harp 1 begins with the melody, and Harp 2 enters one measure later, echoing Harp 1. Harp 3 plays the bass chords. All three parts play the melody in unison on measures 68-70.
Scarborough Fair can be traced as far back as 1670, referring to an old fair in Scarborough that lasted from the 14th to the 18th century. The lyrics list many impossible tasks given to a lover who lives in Scarborough with the added refrains of "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" and "then she'll be a true love of mine."
One of the demanding tasks given to the lady was to sew a seamless cambric shirt, which was impossible as the light cambric fabric was used for making lace and needlework. An
unattainable task given to the man was to buy an acre of land between the salt water and the sea sand. One could guess that this romance never materialized with such unreasonable demands as conditions to be a "true love of mine." This song gives a whole new meaning to the definition of "hard to get."
Step back in time and enjoy this timeless Dorian ballad.
No sharping lever or pedal changes are required in the music. Chord symbols are included in the score and Part 1. There are no fingerings. Part 1 is two pages, and Parts 2 and 3 are four pages each. The score is 10 pages.
All three harp parts and the score are available together in one 21-page PDF ($12.00), or the individual harp parts may be purchased separately for $3.00 each.
These products are PDF files, to be downloaded to your computer. We do not sell them as regular printed music. They are only available here in this PDF download format.