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Harpers Hall makes its home in the San Francisco South Bay Area and Central California Coast. Our purpose is to promote an appreciation of the folk harp, to cultivate its living musical tradition, and to preserve the fun and magic of the harp for members and for the general public. To that end, we hold numerous events throughout the year, from harp jams to house concerts, festival performances to yearly weekend retreats. Journey through Harpers Hall to discover an enchanting world of harpers and learn their songs and their stories. Here you will meet many of the revelers, see the various lands they travel to, and find out how to join.

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Harpers Hall Calendar

Last update: November 8, 2025

Details of these events and gatherings (including address and phone numbers of gathering locations) are published in the Harpers Hall newsletter, The Reel Fling. Yearly subscription includes the newsletters and much more. Join us in the enchanting world of harps.

Most of our gatherings are on the third Sunday of the month. Exceptions are noted in red.

We are still waiting on details for a few of the gatherings. Harpers Hall members, please contact Verlene if you are willing to host the July Summer Party!

2026 January | February |March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

January 2026

  • 25th 1:30 - 6 pm (Note change of date to 4th Sunday!) Gathering at Calli Morrow's home in Portola Valley (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Latin American Music" by Amelia Romano. The harp plays a central role in Latin American history and culture - the national instrument of Paraguay and an essential ingredient to mariachi music, I fell in love with the syncopated rhythms found in Latin American music, when I was a child. This workshop will dive into the popular Venezuelan work, Moliendo Cafe, offering tips for learning and retaining syncopated patterns. I will also touch upon improvisation, a central ingredient of the Latin American folk tradition.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 Concert by Amelia! Note change of schedule!
    • 5:00 - 6:00 works-in-progress. 
      •

    February

  • No monthly gathering -- come to our retreat instead!
  • 20th - 24th from 3:00 Friday through 11 am Tuesday Harpers Hall Retreat-from-the-World. Join Harpers Hall and find more information in our Harpers Hall newsletter and groups.io.

    • March

  • 15th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Kevin and Carol Holsinger's home in Mountain View. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00 "Harps of the World, Part 2" by Cathleen O'Connell. Let’s pick up where we left off in our Random Harps of the World tour: Mexico-Veracruz and Chiapas, and then back across the sea to the Gaelic harps housed in the National Museums of Ireland and Scotland, ending with some African harps, and one Vietnamese harp, and some reflections on what many global harp styles may have in common, and the wonderful wild proliferation of ways to make a harp, and harp music.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire or do an improv circle!

  • 19th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Dell Petersen's home in Fremont. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
    • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: "Playing Round" by Jacqueline Lynaugh. Also known as catch, canon, rota, or roundel, we will put fingers to strings and explore the resonance, contrapuntal harmonies, and harmonics that occur with this simple, horizontally based music form.
    • 3:00 - 4:00 (approximately) share food and visit.
    • 4:00 - 5:00 works-in-progress.
    • 5:00 - 6:00 Play Games repertoire or do an improv circle!

    May

    July

  • No Summer Party this year.

    • August

  • 16th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. (Check groups.io calendar or email Dell for zoom info).
  • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: Whole Body Harping by Verlene Schermer. Playing harp doesn’t just involve the hands and arms! The arms are connected to the shoulders, which connect to the upper back, which is connected to the whole spine, which is connected… You get the picture. We’ll look at how to be aware of how the whole body is supporting us to play more fluidly, with more freedom, and with less effort!
  • 3:00 - 4:00 works-in-progress.
  • 4:00 - 4:30 share food and visit. (shorter so we have more time for our Pleasanton rehearsal)
  • 4:30 - 6:00 rehearsal of the games repertoire in preparation for the Pleasanton Scottish Games. Check your August Fling for the set list.

      September

    • 5th and 6th all day Pleasanton Scottish Games at the Alameda County Fairgrounds
      • We'll be playing ensemble and solo sets throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, and when not on stage, we'll be at our booth where you can come to try your hand at playing a harp, and get your questions answered!
    • 12th Laurel North workshop: Playing in Irish Sessions at Verlene's home in San Jose (contact Verlene to sign up)
      • cost of just the morning or just the afternoon workshop: $15
      • cost of both workshops: $25
      • arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 am to set up and tune.
      • first workshop (beginner) 10 am - 12 pm
      • break for potluck lunch 12 - 1 pm
      • second workshop (advanced) 1-3 pm
      • BIO: Laurel North is a harpist specializing in Irish traditional music. For the last ten years, she has been a sought-after player for céilís, set dances, and sessions. She is known for her extensive repertoire, arranging skill, and passion for the Irish style of social music making.
      • WORKSHOPS: The beginner workshop will focus on learning strong fingering and adding basic ornaments to a well-known Irish jig that should allow for a friendly entry point into playing Irish sessions. All levels welcome.
      • The advanced workshop will cover a tune that is popular in sessions, but rarely heard on the harp. Left hand variations, melodic variation, and ornamentation will be covered. Suitable for upper intermediate and advanced players. Your harp should be fully levered. Both workshops will be taught by ear, with sheet music provided afterwards.
    • 20th 1:30 - 6:00 pm Gathering at Laurann Golden's home in Campbell. (no Zoom for this gathering).
      • Workshop from 2:00 - 3:00: What Do I Play When I Can’t Play That?

 by Jerry Bauer. Workarounds for when the tune wants notes your harp doesn’t have — Sometimes a piece of music has places that are impossible to play as written, often because the harp lacks those notes. Or maybe it’s possible in theory, but out here in the real world, there just ain’t no way. So you’ve got to do something else. This workshop covers several ways to deal with these situations. For each of several examples, relevant techniques are offered, and their pros and cons addressed.
      • 3:00 - 4:00 works-in progress.
      • 4:00 - 5:00 share food and visit.
        •

      October
    • 25th 2:30 - 5 Maire Ni Chathasaigh workshop at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. Email Verlene to sign up.
      • Cost of workshop and concert: $40
      • Cost of workshop alone: $30
      • Cost of concert alone: $15
      •  2:30 - 3 arrive to set up and tune
      •  3 - 5: Ornamentation and accompaniment of Irish music on the harp -- plus a lovely tune or two! Workshop description: We'll learn a piece (or two if there's time) from the wide repertoire of the Irish tradition -- that is, the music of the seventeenth and eighteenth century harpers: the "slow airs," songs, and dance tunes -- with particular reference to the special rhythms and phrasing characteristic of the tradition and the approaches to harmony and accompaniment that are most appropriate. We'll explore how to ornament Irish music on the harp in an authentic style (a PDF handout will be provided), and tips will be given on arranging for solo harp and on how to approach accompanying another musician or musicians. Participants will work primarily as a group, and since Ireland is an oral tradition, will learn by ear and by imitation, though written music will be provided afterward (or during the class if this seems too daunting). We'll also have a lot of fun!
      • 5 - 7 potluck dinner (please let Verlene know what you would like to bring!)
      • 7 - 9  Maire Ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman concert
        • About the duo: The celebrated partnership of "one of the UK's greatist guitarists" (BBC RADIO 2) with "the doyenne of Irish harpers" (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and recipient of Irish traditional music's most prestigious award, Musician of the Year (Gradam Ceoil TG4) has toured in twenty-four countries on five continents to venues ranging from tiny village halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London's Barbican, Cologne's Philharmonie, and Town Halls from Sydney to Seattle. Expect a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions - and Chris' subversive wit! "Dazzling virtuosity" THE DAILY TELEGRAPH  Visit their website: www.maireandchris.com

      December

    • 6th 4:00 - 8:00 pm Yule Party at Verlene Schermer's home in San Jose. No workshop, and no zoom for this one.
    • 15th 11:00 am - 12:00 noon Christmas Concert for AARP Campbell Chapter.




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