Claire Jones
It has been a very exciting twelve months for Claire Jones as she has played at the Royal Wedding and now she has just released her new album The Girl With The Golden Harp - not to mention she is getting married herself.
I caught up with her to chat about the new record, putting her own stamp on well shown tracks and what lies ahead.
- You are about to release your new album The Girl With The Golden Harp so what can we expect from the record?
The new album includes music that is perfect to relax with at the end of a busy day. It features many well know pieces of classical, film and folk melodies that show off the lovely mellow tones of the harp.
We chose music that would appeal to those who are already classical fans as well as those who are just beginning to get into it, and it’s a perfect introduction to the harp.
- On the album you have delivered new versions of Dvorak’s Song to the Moon and Debussy’s The Girl With the Flaxen Hair as well as some traditional Welsh pieces. How did you go about deciding what to include on the record?
All the pieces on the album are songs I’ve fallen in love with over the years, so many were obvious choices, however, adapting well loved classical pieces for any instrument requires careful consideration, and it was important that they should fit well with the harp, and indeed, that the harp should enhance them in some way.
From the initial responses we’ve had, I feel we’ve achieved that. I also wanted to include some Welsh pieces as they are close to my heart, but again, I wanted to breathe new life into them in some way.
- Song to the Moon and The Girl With The Flaxen Hair are obviously quite well known pieces. How did you go about putting your own stamp on them?
They’ve been especially arranged for the harp by my fiancé Chris, but importantly, the arrangements have been tailor made for me as a player.
Each harpist – indeed, every instrumentalist has his or her own style, a virtuosic rubber stamp if you like, and I wanted to find a way of keeping my musical fingerprint strong across all the pieces.
- Song to the Moon is an opera piece so how difficult was it to get the arrangement right for the harp?
I have played it many times in recitals with sopranos and every time I always thought it would sit nicely on the harp.
It’s a very sparkly, magical piece and the harp lends itself very well to creating that kind of atmosphere. I knew that it would work well as a harp piece, and indeed, when Chris and I started to work, it came quite easily.
- The English Chamber Orchestra play on the record with you so how did they find working with the new arrangements?
It was an exciting time for them to read brand new arrangements - and a fresh take on these well known works. I think that consummate musicians enjoy finding ways to re-interpret classical standards, and they are all consummate musicians. They were incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of what we were aiming to do.
- There is also a new composition from your fiancé Chris Marshall. Can you tell me how that came about?
When Chris proposed to me by the Christ Statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro last year, he also announced that he had another gift for me, a solo piece for harp and strings that he’d been working on in secret.
I didn’t get to hear it until we arrived home, but absolutely loved it. I was delighted that the team at Classic FM loved it too and that we record this piece for the album – it was quite emotional for me.
- So when did you start playing the harp and what initially drew you to this instrument?
I started age 10 after a harpist (who knew I played piano and violin) showed me a scale on the harp.
I was spellbound and kept asking my parents for harp lessons! Three weeks later I began learning to play the instrument, and it’s been a passion ever since.
- You were the Royal Harpist to the Prince of Wales (and also the longest serving royal harpist) so how did you end up in that role? And what is your abiding memory of that time when you look back on it now?
It was a very special time in my life, I auditioned for Prince Charles in 2007, and took up the role soon after.
It gave me an incredible springboard to launch my solo career. There were many memorable occasions: playing privately for HM The Queen, arranging a choir of 60 harps for HRH's 60th Birthday, a Royal commission, a harp concerto called the Highgrove Suite and performing with some of the world's leading orchestras and of course the Wedding of the century!
- You also performed at the Royal Wedding so how exciting was that? And how involved were William and Kate in choosing the songs you played?
It was one of the biggest thrills of my life. It began with a personal invitation to perform by William and Kate, and they listened to my albums and chose which pieces they would like played at the Queen’s reception at Buckingham Palace, so they were very hands on.
It was an amazing period of my life – a huge learning curve in terms of media exposure – it was just unbelievable, in the week or so leading up to the wedding I appeared on over 800 broadcast networks worldwide. I couldn’t resist including one of the pieces they chose on The Girl with the Golden Harp.
- Finally, what's next for you?
I’m a very lucky girl. At 27 I’ve fulfilled two big dreams: to be the Prince of Wales’ harpist and to record a harp CD that has the chance of attracting a new, and broad audience for this wonderful instrument. The next dream is personal, and I’m looking forward to marrying Chris on September 8th.
Clogau Gold have very kindly made special and very beautiful and personal rings for us and I’m really, really looking forward to wearing a gown that my good friend David Emanuel has designed for me.
After that, I need to dream a little and plan what comes next in between a busy schedule of concerts in Hong Kong with flautist Sir James Galway.
Claire Jones’ new Classic FM album The Girl With The Golden Harp is out now
Click here to buy The Girl With The Golden Harp album
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw