Exonian Profiles
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“The Celtic harp has crept in and out of my life ever since I was an adolescent,” says musician Julia Lyford Lane ’74 of the instrument that is now central to her life and career. Fascinated by early English and Scottish folk music and lore, Lane first became enchanted by the Celtic harp as a student at Exeter. “I was very active in madrigal and Renaissance music groups and studied guitar while at Exeter,” says Lane, daughter of former PEA art instructor Cabot Lyford. “I always wanted to play the Celtic harp but couldn’t afford one, so I purchased a kit to make a lyre while I was a student. I found that really boring, so I went back to the guitar.” While she did eventually build her own harp some years later, it wasn’t until Lane hit her early 30s that the instrument would make another appearance in her life, this time on a permanent basis. “After doing lots of other things in my life, I made a pact with myself to concentrate on what I enjoy doing most, and that’s making music. I’m a musician. It’s not something I do, it’s what I am.” To that end, Lane devoted herself full time to music, teaching herself to play the Celtic folk harp, forming a group called Castlebay devoted to Irish and Scottish folk music and songs related to her home state of Maine’s nautical legacy, and commenced upon a musical journey that has taken her far and wide. She has since won three international harp competitions, released 17 recordings of original and traditional folk music, and performed in coffee houses, concert halls and folk festivals throughout the eastern United States, Ireland, England, and Scotland. “Everything I do to make money is music related. The business side takes up far more time than I’d like—I’d much rather sit in the woods and play my harp—but I believe things should be done a certain way.” This September marked yet another milestone for Lane when she and her partner Fred Gosbee staged “Sang o’ the Solway,” in Galloway, Scotland, a series of multimedia performances blending contemporary and traditional music, poetry, and dance. “We wrote the music while visiting the area and were invited back by some friends to perform it,” says Lane. “These performances included 14 pieces of music that we wrote, all played by local musicians. We hope to bring it to Maine sometime in the future.” For more information, contact: www.castlebay.net. —Bill Ewing |
