John Doan on the Harpolyre – Three-Necked Harp Guitar

john Doan Primal Twang Harpolyre  - Photo, Erin Fitzgerald Taylor GuitarsMy YouTube videos playing the harpolyre continue to get a lot of attention, and I wanted to share with you a little of the backstory of this amazing three-necked harp guitar.

In an effort to bring history to the harp guitar I discovered ten works for the harpolyre written by Fernando Sor, known as the Father of the Classical Guitar. The amazing thing about these compositions is not only are they extremely tender and lyric pieces, but they had never been played since 1830 and perhaps have never actually been heard in public until my recording “The Lost Music of Fernando Sor” along with my live performances and YouTube videos. I felt like Indiana Jones uncovering this forgotten music for a forgotten instrument.

I ordered the microfilm of this music in 1977 from the La Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and with this extremely rare and beautiful music in my hands, I could only dream of finding one of a handful of existing harpolyres upon which to really recreate these beautiful musical pieces. After thirty years of the hunt, I was blessed to find a circa 1830 harpolyre that had been restored to near pristine condition.


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The Victorian Christmas Maestro – 700 Club Interview

John Doan was interviewed on The 700 Club for their special on holiday music, “The Victorian Christmas Maestro.” The interview showcased John’s popular annual Victorian Christmas Concert, celebrating 25 years in 2011.

John played “Hark the Herald Angles Sing” on the crankorgan, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” and “Go Tell It On the Mountain” featured on his CD Wrapped In White and Victorian Christmas DVD. He also showcased zithers, banjos, guitars, and other ancient stringed instruments.

The interview article features the transcription of the interview.

John Doan Interview in Austria

After a concert in Wels, Austria, John Doan was interviewed about his Celtic Pilgrimage Concert. In this interview titled, “Sharing a Moment in Time Through Music,” John explains why he focused on Celtic ancient times and music. The background music is from his concert in Wels.

Celtic Pilgrimage Concert in Austria [video]

Kedar Video recorded John Doan’s Celtic Pilgrimage Concert at the Kornspeicher in Wels, Austria. The guest singer was Rija. The video is 1 hour and 11 minutes.

John was interviewed after the concert, providing a behind-the-scenes story of how he came to create the Celtic music from his Eire – Isle of the Saints, Wayfarer, and A Celtic Pilgrimage albums.

Preview of A Celtic Pilgrimage Documentary

Filmed entirely on location in Ireland, this is a preview of the upcoming documentary on John Doan’s “A Celtic Pilgrimage.” It showcases the journey he took repeatedly to explore the Celtic history and spiritual places he calls the “thin places” where spirit and earth meet.

John talks about the project and the stories of how he came to compose the beautiful music behind his Eire – Isle of the Saints, Wayfarer, and A Celtic Pilgrimage albums.