MacArthur Harps

Subject: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 12:26 PM

Up at the Heritage River Festival I ran into my friend Peter Cox, who builds wonderfully playable and inexpensive folk instruments. I played his version of the MacArthur harp (I believe he's a friend of Margaret) and it's quite lovely. I didn't get the price exactly but I think it's in the 120 dollar (American) range, which is an absolute deal! They're plain with no carving and sound beautiful. Easy to learn as well.

Peter lives back in the hills near Barrie Ontario, and is one of the least commercial folk I know. You could call him (I know he sends instruments all over the place) at 705-726-3784. I told him about Mudcat, so mention my name, and if he gets computerized, he'd make a wonderful addition. He does great (very) old time banjos and dulcimers as well.

Rick (who has one of his plucked psalterys)

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 07:01 PM

I should have mentioned that if you're not familiar with the wonderful little instrument that Margaret MacArthur plays,...it's a very small sweet sounding harp with 12 strings and 3 chords. Lovely sound. Mudcatter Ferarra has one (not made my Peter Cox) and I got to hear a tune on it in Washington. Think there's a picture of her playing it on Bbc's page.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Aug 99 - 11:48 PM

Okay, Rick, you know me.....new to all this, in a roundabout fashion...would you please tell me who Margaret MacArthur is?

katlaughing&dodgingloud"youdon'tknowwhoMM is??!"

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Lorraine
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 06:58 AM

Oh you're in for a treat if you haven't heard Margaret yet. She is a Vermont state treasure- beautiful ballads old and new. Wonderful recordings-and yes, plays the MarArthur Harp magically as well as mountain dulcimar... Enjoy-Lorraine

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Allan C.
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 07:34 AM

Look here, Katl. Margaret MacArthur

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 09:28 AM

Thanks, Allan! I'd forgotten I'd gone to that page before, just didn't have a lot of time to peruse it. WOW! You are right Lorraine...looks like I am in for a treat.

Rick: any chance your friend will get computerized soon? Do you have a snail mail address for him? I'd like to write to him about a harp...that's something I've wanted for a long time and his prices sound incredibly reasonable.

Thanks, kat

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: KathWestra
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 12:51 PM

Lorraine's right. If you haven't heard Margaret you're in for a big treat. She has four fairly recent recordings, two with her family: "Them Stars" (wonderful title song) and "MacArthur Road." Also a compilation of Vermont History songs on cassette with a HUGE booklet of background information on the songs included. I believe her earlier recordings are also still available -- check her website. You'll get to hear the harp, and some wonderful songs, too.

Sen. Jeffords of Vermont recently selected Margaret to represent her state in the Milennium Stage concert series at the Kennedy Center in Washington. A politician with taste and discernment! She is truly a treasure.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 12:52 PM

Yeah Kat. The phone number's up above. The mailing address is PETER COX
11 Finlay Mill rd. r.r. 3
Barrie, Ontario. Canada
L4M-4S5

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 10:27 PM

Thanks, Rick. I will write to him this week. Thanks, too, to you, KathWestra, for the info.

I am off to git eddicated....agin!**BG**

katlaughing

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Susan A-R
Date: 18 Aug 99 - 10:36 PM

Margaret is really the person who first hooked me on folk music. I'd heard it, but never thought much about singing it myself. She and her children came and gave a concert in my home town when I was about 17. I wound up getting a lap dulcimer and haven't looked back since.

Say Rick, this guy doesn't make things like mandolas or octave mandolins does he? If so, I may be in trouble. :>)

Susan

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 19 Aug 99 - 01:33 AM

Susan, now that you mention it. I don't want this to sound like a commercial for peter, but he makes EXCELLENT mandolas, mandolins and long-necked mando-thingies. All incredibly cheap, and they sound great. What he doesn't do is toot his own horn, so I guess I'm inadvertantly tooting it for him.

Rick

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 12:41 AM

Refreshing this thread because I've just invited Margaret to join us here and I want her to be able to find it easily. She'll be a great asset to this community if she succumbs to my urging becomes a Mudcatter. Some of you others who know her might want to work on her, too. We'll have to warn her about all this HTML stuff, though. The ballad listserv doesn't require it. It takes just plain old e-pistles.

Sandy

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 02:47 AM

Git back up thar, hoss, where ya b'long! Margaret's apt to come a-callin' in the mornin'!

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 01:43 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 04:12 PM

Here ya go, Sandy, I'll give it a lift, too. Welcome, Margaret!

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 07:16 PM

Thanks, Kat. Maybe she's away on a date with your Eddie and Hiroshi. Anyone seen Elvis?

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 07:42 PM

Nice try Sandy, but we all know that Hiroshi and Elvis are ALIVE. Do ya think if I added Judge Crater anyone would know who he was?

Rick

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 07:57 PM

I think the Judge had a secret rendezvous with Amelia on a south sea island, Rick. He's being played by Jon Hall and she by Dottie Lamour. Can you sing "South of Pago Pago" for the sound track?

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 10:00 PM

tsk...to be in a crowd where Judge Crater is even remembered!...(I think the Judge and Ameila are with 'The Vanishing American' on a 'Lost Weekend", looking for the "Lost Chord".(

..Eddie may well be there, too...or maybe Eddie came in and clicked on "The End" and is trapped waaayyyy down there!

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Nancy-Jean
Date: 20 Aug 99 - 10:31 PM

Kathy, didn't the Kennedy Center event happen about a year ago? I was there. It was simple, Vermont and Margaret. A very tastefully presented program. I hoped for more, so if another date is scheduled, please tell us.

Nancy-Jean

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Margmac
Date: 21 Aug 99 - 02:47 PM

Well this is

This is Margaret MacArthur. Since the building of the first reproduction of my old harp thirty some years ago we have found that the original was constructed at the Harp-o-Chord company in Columbus Ohio in 1896, and that it is called a harp-zither, being strung so the high strings are away from the body of the player rather than adjacent, as in a proper harp. It is an antecedent of the auto harp, and closely related to guitar harps etc. I have written a how to play book, along with a tape of instruction and tunes. I am delighted to find another maker, as Howard Martindale, who made my reproduction, has retired, and Keth Young is back ordered, and Jeremy Seeger is still working out details. I have an old original, as does H. Martindale. There is one in a music store museum in Kansas City, and probably a few more scattered around.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 21 Aug 99 - 02:57 PM

Welcome, Margaret, to Mudcat Madness!

Wasn't Martindale the original Sunhearth dulcimer maker? Beautiful instruments!

I hope you'll scroll around some of the musical threads on the forum, although some of the "Madcat" posts are a lot of fun, too. Don't let the marvelous Catspaw scare you away. He occasionally lets his true nature show through, and it's always worth the wait. Trust me.

Sandy

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 99 - 04:28 PM

Just so long as we finally find some fling-free litter!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 21 Aug 99 - 06:16 PM

Welcome Margaret. We miss you in Toronto.

Rick

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Big Mick
Date: 22 Aug 99 - 10:33 AM

Well, I am just knocked out by who I get to play with here in the world's biggest Folk toybox. Margaret, I am so pleased that you have decided to join us. Like Sandy and Caroline, you are extremely well thought of in these parts and it is just an honor and a joy to welcome you to our village. I think you will find that we are an eclectic bunch who love to talk music and the events that spawned it. It gets a little excitin' from time to time when we take off on something controversial, but the hallmark here is to disagree without being disagreeable. And of course we have our downright silly threads. If you want to get a flavor for how much we care for one another, do a forum search on Catspaw or DougR. If you want to see our zany side, check out Mudcat Tavern, 1-7. And of course there is our music which is all over this site.

If you would allow me to, I will give you a quick how-to on two tools. One is the Digital Tradition Folk Database. It is that blue box in the top right corner of every thread. Using this you can search the database for any song you are looking for. Many have midi's attached. The second tool can be found at the top as well. It says "Quick Links". Drop down that menu and go to Search the Forum. If you are looking for a song that doesn't appear in the Digitrad, it may well be in the Forums, posted by someone for our enjoyment.

I am so happy you have joined us. Please contribute and help Sandy, Caroline, Art Thieme, Frank Hamilton, Rick and all of us "pass it on".

All the very best,

Mick

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Margmac
Date: 22 Aug 99 - 10:03 PM

Sandy, the late Walter Martin of Roaring Springs PA was the originator of Sunhearth Dulcimers. He presented me with a magnificent one several years ago. Howard Martindale made the reproduction of my old harp=zither, and Martin Mager made another of my dulcimers. Seems magic to me, all of these Martins

Mick, thanks for the info on tools. I am a neophyte for sure

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Susan A-R
Date: 22 Aug 99 - 10:13 PM

Hello Margaret, I'm delighted that you checked in on this one. Are you headed up to Montpelier for anything in the near future?

Somehow I am not surprised that your harp is modeled on an instrument mannufactured around the turn of the century. That seems to have been the hayday for a lot of interesting instruments. Oh, and have you gotten a chance to visit the Helen Hartness Flanders thread??

Susan

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: KathWestra
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 11:52 AM

Welcome, Margaret! I'm glad Sandy roped you in to these discussions. Hope to see a lot more of you around these Mudcat meanderings. Kathy

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 12:42 PM

Right. Martin. Must have been a senior moment. Come to this year's Getaway and enjoy some of McClatchey's great cooking (I can never remember how she spells her name!). You could surely hitch a ride down with one of our upper New England Mudcatters (Jeri? Animaterra?). I think Susan A-R is also looking for a ride. Karen K is going from the Hartford area. As I recall you once made the trip back from an Old Dominion festival with her. Remember the ferry ride to Cape May? What say you all? Should we start a "carpooling" thread?

Sandy

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Ferrara
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 03:01 PM

Margaret, a welcome from me as well! You've been one of my very favorite musicians since the first time I heard you. I swore then I'd get me a MacArthur Harp some day, so jumped at the chance when Dick Levine offered me one made by Howard Martindale. By the way, Keith Young now has an original, black with gold-tone, stringing instructions stamped on it. It's in "G". - Rita Ferrara (in the DC area.)

ps Rick, thanks for the info on your instrument maker friend. I've wished I could afford a second harp, maybe tuned in "D" ("the people's key") or "G" so I could play along in some of the jamming around here. - Rita

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Susan A-R
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 10:29 PM

Sandy and Margaret, there is a thread re. New Englanders going to FSGW. I have not yet even looke dup mastry of blue clidky things, so I can't send us there, but the upshot is that probabhly Wally MacNow is going from this way, and I have yet to contact him (I've already instigated a party at his house)

Susan

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 11:30 PM

well *grin*, I wondered if this group wouldn't bring Wally & Berta out of the woods!..It will be like old home week here!

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Susan A-R
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 11:32 PM

Wally shows up now and then on line (after all, he's camsco, I guess a sponsor of this joint) I also run into him now and then at music stuff here in central Vermont.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sharon
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 10:43 PM

I've been looking for a MacArthur Harp to purchase. Who is a reputable maker/dealer?

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 10:50 PM

Go back and read the first couple of posts to this thread. Rick mentions Peter Cox in Ontario. Somewhat later, Ferarra mentions Keith Young. Peter's would cost a lot less. I met him once at Rick's and enjoyed seeing some of the other instruments he had made. Nice, and not over-priced.

Sandy

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 10:50 PM

Sharon. That's what this thread was all about. It just changed direction a few times. Go back to the top and phone Peter Cox.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 11:12 PM

It's no wonder I couldn't get this thread to load awhile ago........both of you at the same time!!!!

It is a pleasure to have Margaret MacArthur here and I have enjoyed reading this one right along for obvious reasons.

I am thinking of changing my name to Martin so I can perhaps emulate some of their success instead of constantly screwing around with bracing patterns, soundboard thicknesses, and the like. I'd like to be satisfied sometime.

Welcome to Mudcat Margaret.......a finer group of folks cannot be found.........I hope you stay and join in the discussions, the music, and the nonsense. I know from experience that a closer and more loving, compassionate, caring, and humorous group cannot be found. We tend to think of this place as a village and your friend Sandy once said that it was the kind of place he always wanted to live. We are happy he does and proud to share it with him.......and you too.

Spaw

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Margmac
Date: 25 Aug 99 - 09:35 PM

Thanks, Catspaw, and all of the rest of you Mudcats for the welcoming words. Glad to be part of your village Margaret

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: GUEST,LynnT
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 01:37 PM

Refreshing this thread. We've taken Rita's and Lisa Null's macArthur Harps in for refurbishing and restringing, and Rita can't find her copy of "How to Play the macArthur Harp" to provide us the stringing/tuning diagrams. Can any Mudcatter help, please? Can we post images here, or could somebody possibly email it to me?

many thanks!

Lynn

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: maeve
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 02:21 PM

Please buy a new copy from the family rather than making or posting copies. It is available from her daughter, Megan. She asked me to post this information:
Book and CD (somewhat cleaned up for sound quality) are $20 together, or $10 each if one or the other is needed, check made out to Dan MacArthur and mailed to:

Megan MacArthur Littlehales
Box 148
Marlboro, VT 05344

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Helen
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 02:25 PM

I found this information on Margaret MacArthur. There is also a video on the page. The title of her How to Play the MacArthur Harp book is a link to a library website. If all else fails you could possibly find a copy in a library through their search function.

Folksong Collector and Singer Margaret MacArthur

Watching the video - she only plays a very short piece on the harp at the end - I can see what a clever idea it is to have the bass strings at a cross angle to the higher strings. Very neat!

Helen, whose harps are bigger and heavier than the MacArthur harp. LOL

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: GUEST,LynnT
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 03:21 PM

Okay, even though Rita already owns this book -- she just can't FIND it! -- I will buy another copy from Meghan and pass it on to Lisa Null, who also has a MacArthur Harp. (Lisa says "HI" to Meghan, by the way; apparently they grew up together.) Do you know what they charge for shipping?

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: maeve
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 03:24 PM

Hi- I reckon postage is included, since the $10 each is the full cost listing Megan sent to me.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Helen
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 04:13 PM

As an ex-librarian, I totally agree about buying a copy from the family instead of breaching copyright by making a copy. I just posted the library information as a last resort if no copy was available for purchase.

It's good to see that a copy is available to buy.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: clueless don
Date: 11 Feb 21 - 06:50 AM

I know that this thread is about the instrument played by the late Margaret MacArthur - I remember seeing and hearing her perform on several occasions back in the day. Very fine!

But when I saw the title - "RE: MacArthur Harps" - just now, I couldn't help thinking "Do they melt in the dark?"

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: Helen
Date: 11 Feb 21 - 02:54 PM

Yes, don, I've been thinking of the same song.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: maeve
Date: 11 Feb 21 - 04:34 PM

Thank you, Helen. Appreciated.

Guest, Lynne T. If you have trouble getting hold of Megan, feel free to let me know here and I will do my best to help. It's been a few years since Megan and I had our email discussion. They reprinted the booklet themselves just to keep it in circulation, so thanks very much for supporting them by purchasing a new copy for Rita and Lisa's use.

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: GUEST,LynnT
Date: 11 Feb 21 - 06:51 PM

Thanks, Maeve. This afternoon I sent a check for $27 to the address you provided, presuming that they'll have to pay SOMETHING for shipping. If not, they can slide the extra cash into the book when they mail it off to me.

Lynn

Subject: RE: MacArthur Harps
From: maeve
Date: 11 Feb 21 - 07:14 PM

Very thoughtful- thank you so much, Lynn.