Born in Llanidloes, raised in Llanuwchllyn and educated at Aberystwyth, the woman who convinced King Charles to reinstate the position of royal harpist after a century-long gap is turning her attention to the next generation.

Renowned harpist Elinor Bennett is going on a 12-stop Wales-wide tour called Dwylo ar Dannau’r Delyn (Hands on Harp Strings). The concerts, masterclasses and workshops will take Elinor to places she has close personal connections to.

Starting at Bangor on 23 October, the tour will visit Pwllheli, Llangefni, Llanrwst, Denbigh, Llangadfan in Powys where Elinor has close family links, and Aberystwyth, where she studied law at the university.

She will also visit Swansea, Barry, Crymych, Merthyr Tydfil where she once lived, and Llanuwchllyn, Bala where she spent a large part of her childhood.

The tour follows a launch concert for the International Harp Festival festival at Bangor University’s PJ Hall. Elinor is artistic director of the festival, but will step down after next year’s event.

As well as re-igniting interest in harp music following the pandemic, the aim of the tour is to promote the fifth Wales International Harp Festival to be staged at Galeri Caernarfon from 5-11 April, where harpists can take part in competitions. The aim of that is to give children and older harpists a platform to perform, receive comments from internationally esteemed harpists and make friends with young musicians from other parts of the world. The closing date to apply for the competitions is 2 January.

“At each location on the tour I will be joined by a former pupil or someone I have worked with in the past,” said Elinor.

“We hope local harp tutors and teachers will bring their pupils along. Each event will last about four hours and at the start there will be workshops and classes where youngsters can play together and perform solos.

“To close the event there will be a concert where I will play with the guest tutor and, perhaps, some of the youngsters if they wish. The concerts, of course, will be open to the public.

“There will also be an exhibition of harps by the Vining company from Cardiff. They sell Camac instruments and are sponsoring the festival.”

She added: “I have heard that fewer children and young people are taking up the harp and the tour will create an interest in it and raise awareness of the festival itself.”

Tickets for the tour are available online at www.walesharpfestival.co.uk, at some local shops and on the door.

When Elinor started learning to play the harp in 1954, there were very few harpists. Her father bought her first harp when she was just seven years old, though she did not begin lessons for another four years as her legs were not long enough to reach the pedals. She said: “My father was very musical, as were my mother and grandfather. After we moved to Llanuwchllyn my father joined Cor Godre’r Aran. In 1949 they went to London to sing at the Dorchester Hotel, and while in the city he bought a harp for £30 and brought it back to Llanuwchllyn on the (London) Underground and the train.”

After leaving school Elinor studied law at Aberystwyth but later applied for, and won, a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Osian Ellis, the acclaimed Flintshire-born harpist. After graduating she played with numerous orchestras at home and abroad.

Known mostly for classical music, she has also played with some of Wales’ most renowned rock musicians. She has recorded 12 solo albums, founded the Coleg Telyn Cymru (Harp College of Wales) and helped set up Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias Music Centre in Caernarfon.

Finding herself seated next to the then-Prince of Wales at a dinner, she told him of the tradition of a Royal harpist but which had not been filled for more than a century.

“He was interested and asked me to send him a proposal which I duly did. That led to the revival of the tradition with the first being Catrin Finch in 2000,” said Elinor.

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