Music
Press
Specializing in the ancient Celtic traditions and with this unique act, this classically trained singer is truly a trailblazer for independents. Rolliana Scheckler is a master with her chosen instrument,the harp, and matches the lovely range and tone of the harp with an astonishing vocal performance, each complimenting the other. - Music-Tech.Net Indie Artist Showcase
Rolliana Scheckler's "Dawning of the Day" is a lovely CD. No two ways about it. I was repeatedly listening to it over the holidays, and everyone who came into the house remarked on the beauty of the sound. She is a master of tone and touch, especially on slow aires. There is a mixture of Irish and Scottish tunes with one Welsh melody thrown in for good measure. There were several old favorites that most journeymen harpers play but several new (to me) tunes as well. Among the former are "Blind Mary", "The Chanter", "Morrison's Jig" and "Sheebeg and Sheemore". This last tune, commonly attributed to O'Carolan, is a great example of how a veteran harper can make a tune her own through inventive arrangement. It has shimmering glissandi in it that really add to the theme and visualization of a mighty fairy battle. I met Rolliana at a harp workshop with M‡ire ni Chathasaigh in Ireland and I can attest that she is not content to rest on her own arrangements but is determined to mine the traditional harp playing of the top Irish harpers for new ideas. The ornamentation on slow aires such as "Red Haired Girl" and "Song of the Eagle" clearly demonstrates her mastery of the form. "Song of the Eagle", an Irish lullaby, is as moving as any harp piece I have heard on CD. Rolliana plays a Kortier 36 string harp. The recording is simple and unadorned, minimal effects. If your tastes lean towards sweet sentiments and Irish lilt, then this CD (and maybe a pint of Guinness at your side) is just what the doctor ordered.
Mike Nielsen
- The Folk Harp Journal
Discography
"HarpSinger", CD and cassette, released November, 1995.
"Dawning of the Day", CD, released November, 2003.
These are available for purchase from www.harpsinger.com, www. amazon.com, www.cdbaby.com. Digital audio downloads are available from CDBaby, MusicNet, Apple iTunes Music Store, Rhapsody, Napster, MusicMatch, BuyMusic, Emusic and AudioLunchbox and 15 more internet sites--see CD Baby for listing. Excerpts from "Dawning of the Day" are played on www.GrowthHouse.org.
Photos
Bio
First Place Winner of the Professional Division of the Great Lakes Harpers (GLH), an invited performer and presenter to a major conference of The International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen, Inc., (ISFHC), in Galveston, Texas, and a Palmer Grant recipient, Rolliana Scheckler has arrived at the top of the folk harp world with her exquisite instrumental Celtic harp solos and simultaneously self-accompanied harpsongs. She specializes in the ancient Celtic traditions, especially of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, medieval and renaissance music as well as European and American art music, both past and present. She plays a combination of others' work and her own arrangements, improvisations and original compositions, all with authentic ornamentation, in formal solo recitals, "informances" for schools, libraries, service clubs, as well as weddings and various church services. She provides contemplative music for labyrinth walks and for patients at the HospiceCare, Inc., Anderson Center in Madison, WI, and also plays harp as background music for corporate and other receptions, art show openings and all kinds of gala occasions. Her debut CD, "HarpSinger", was released in 1995, and "Dawning of the Day" came out in November, 2003.
Mike Neilsen, reviewing Rolliana's second CD, Dawning of the Day, for the Folk Harp Journal, writes: "She is a master of tone and touch. Her 'Sheebeg and Sheemore' is an example of how a veteran harper can make a tune her own through inventive arrangement...'Song of the Eagle' is as moving as any harp piece I have heard on CD."
A Music-Tech.Net Indie Artist Showcase review of "HarpSinger" reads: "Specializing in the ancient Celtic traditions and with this unique act, this classically trained singer is truly a trail blazer for independents. Rolliana Scheckler is a master with her chosen instrument, the harp, and matches the lovely range and tone of the harp with an astonishing vocal performance, each complimenting the other."
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