Irish Cultural Center
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Robin Huw Bowen: Triple Harp

Robin is recognized internationally as the leading exponent of the Welsh national instrument, the triple harp, which has three sets of strings. He is noted for his research and publications of the traditional dance music of Wales and also his research and recording of the music of the Welsh Gypsies. In 2000 Robin was awarded the Glyndwr Award for "an outstanding contribution to the arts in Wales".

Robin has played and toured with bands such as Mabsant and Cusan Tân, as well as touring solo regularly in Austrailia, North America, Germany and other parts of the world.

According to Ceolas:

Robin Huw Bowen is the foremost player of the uniquely Welsh triple harp, as well as a campaigner for its revival and manager of his own record company and press.

The triple harp has obscure origins, in the eighteenth century; it has three rows of strings, the outer two in unision to each other, the middle for accidentals, making it a fully chromatic instrument. It was popular for a time throughout Europe, in art music as much as folk, but was later superseded by the pedal harp (which uses the pedal for accidentals). The triple harp lived on only in Wales, where it was extremely popular, and much cheaper and lighter than the new pedal harps. It became known as the Welsh national instrument in the nineteenth century

Born in Liverpool (the unofficial 'capital of North Wales', despite being in England), to Welsh-speaking parents, Robin learned simple celtic harp while at school, inspired by the Breton harper, Alan Stivell. He was first exposed to the triple harp by the brothers Dafydd and Gwyndaf Roberts who played the instrument with the traditional Welsh group Ar Log. They had learned from Nansi Richards, the last of the Welsh gypsy harpists, and he in turn learned from them. He played locally for serveral years, and joined the Welsh traditional group Mabsant in 1986, toured and recorded with them for two years and then set out on his own. Since then he has played solo and with the vocal duo Cusan Tan, with whom he currently tours.

In a linked strand, he worked for some years at the Welsh National library. While there he discovered several old collections of Welsh tunes and arrangements for harp. He set up his own press, Gwasg Teires (Triple Harp Press) to publish this material, one of the only current sources for traditional Welsh music; his book of two hundred hornpipes, Tro Llaw, mostly from this archives was published by the Welsh National Library.

"Robin Huw Bowen is the foremost player of the uniquely Welsh triple harp, as well as a campaigner for its revival and manager of his own record company and press.

The triple harp has obscure origins, in the eighteenth century; it has three rows of strings, the outer two in unision to each other, the middle for accidentals, making it a fully chromatic instrument. It was popular for a time throughout Europe, in art music as much as folk, but was later superseded by the pedal harp (which uses the pedal for accidentals). The triple harp lived on only in Wales, where it was extremely popular, and much cheaper and lighter than the new pedal harps. It became known as the Welsh national instrument in the nineteenth century.

Born in Liverpool (the unofficial 'capital of North Wales', despite being in England), to Welsh-speaking parents, Robin learned simple celtic harp while at school, inspired by the Breton harper, Alan Stivell. He was first exposed to the triple harp by the brothers Dafydd and Gwyndaf Roberts who played the instrument with the traditional Welsh group Ar Log. They had learned from Nansi Richards, the last of the Welsh gypsy harpists, and he in turn learned from them. He played locally for several years, and joined the Welsh traditional group Mabsant in 1986, toured and recorded with them for two years and then set out on his own. Since then he has played solo and with the vocal duo Cusan Tan, with whom he currently tours.

In a linked strand, he worked for some years at the Welsh National library. While there he discovered several old collections of Welsh tunes and arrangements for harp. He set up his own press, Gwasg Teires (Triple Harp Press) to publish this material, one of the only current sources for traditional Welsh music; his book of two hundred hornpipes, Tro Llaw, mostly from this archives was published by the Welsh National Library. " www.ceolas.org/artists/Huw_Bowen.html

Crasdant Web Site

Renowned Welsh triple harpist, Robin Huw Bowen brought together the most exciting folk band to come out of Wales in the last twenty years. He is joined by Stephen Rees, a fiddler known from his work with the premier Welsh folk band Ar Log, Andy McLauchlin, a flute player and a multi-instrumentalist, and the clogging and guitar of Huw Williams, who is known as part of the singer/songwriter duo Huw & Tony Williams and for the songs he has written that have been recorded by many other musicians.

"Robin Huw Bowen's influence on the worlds of Welsh folk music and harping has been far-reaching. Of the few harpists worldwide who can play the triple harp, he is the foremost professional now specialising solely in this particular field. He is recognized internationally as the leading exponent of the Welsh national instrument and ranks among the most important figures that Welsh traditional music has produced."

Robin Huw Bowen is probably the best known Welsh folk musician who tours regularly in North America. Like the Irish, the Welsh have their own style of percussive tap dance or clogging and in Wales the band traditionally includes the triple harp. Crasdant concerts are an exciting opportunity to explore the music and dance of one of the lesser-known Celtic cultures.

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