“Harpscape Retreat” — a retreat designed for anyone who loves the harp, would like to play the harp or would like to experience a retreat immersed in harp music — will be held at the Franciscan Chiara Center near Springfield Nov. 4-7.
The focus of the retreat will be “Spirituality of the Harp,” said Jim Harris, one of the organizers. “I participated in a liturgical harp retreat in Atlanta three years ago, when I was invited as a music therapist, to present a session on ‘Music and Healing.’ Soon after, I began to think about hosting a similar retreat in Springfield. About that time I visited the Chiara Center and realized what a perfect setting it would be for such a retreat.
“Because I have been a music therapist much of my life, I decided to plan a retreat with a focus on the spirituality and healing qualities of the harp,” Harris said. “I enlisted two local harpists, Jan Mulrooney-Kuhn from St. Agnes Parish and Brother Christian Guertin, from the Franciscan monastery, to work with me on the creation of the Harpscape Retreat. The three of us have done the planning, along with Sister Renita Brummer (OSF) of the Chiara Center.
“The retreat is a first of its kind for the Chiara Center,” said Harris. “We engaged three professional harpists from Atlanta, St. Louis and Evansville, Ind., to teach workshops at our retreat, and to perform in the concert on Nov. 6 at the Church of St. Francis. All three have had experience with music in healing settings.”
Workshops will include the liturgical uses of the harp, as well as uses of the harp in hospital, hospice, nursing home and other healing settings. Additional workshops will feature improvising, composing and Gregorian Chant. Private harp lessons and opportunities to play in ensembles will be available. There will also be a panel discussion on “Harps and Healing.”
Additionally, Harpscape Retreat will also include morning and evening Taizé services, harp meditations each day and Sunday Mass in the Church of St. Francis, with an ensemble of harps accompanying the Mass. Participants will be able to take walks on the grounds of the Franciscan Motherhouse.
Several harp makers will bring their harps to see, play and purchase. “These will be primarily smaller harps, such as the Celtic harp,” said Harris. “Some of the smaller harps are modestly priced, often comparable to the cost of a good guitar. These harps are classified as ‘folk harps’ and sometimes ‘lever harps’ and can be learned easily. They are often easier to learn than the guitar.”
Harris, who is a board-certified music therapist, says he has a great fondness for the harp. “Why do I love the harp? There are many reasons, but the heavenly sound is probably the main reason,” he said. “I have more than 30 musical instruments in my collection, and I play them all, but I play the harp more than any other. The harp resonates with my attraction to meditation and to healing.”
Mulrooney-Kuhn, who has been playing the instrument for eight years and is certified healing musician who plays bedside music for patients at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, says she also has great affection for the instrument. “I love the harp because its music is beautiful, soothing, relaxing, and brings about healing to the mind, body and spirit,” she said. “A patient said to me today, ‘You are my angel of the day.’ We would like to fill the Chiara Center with ‘heavenly harping angels.’”
To learn more about the “Harpscape Retreat,” go to www.chiaracenter.org under “featured events.” Early registration is encouraged, since the price is lower and overnight accommodations are limited.