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Kate Martin Named Clan Currie “Harpist of the Day” at the 14th Annual Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival Kate Martin of Midlothian, Virginia was named “Harpist of the Day” at the 14th Annual Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival this past weekend. The annual award, sponsored by the Clan Currie Society is awarded to the harpist with the best overall performance. Robert Currie, president of the Clan Currie Society presented the award to Ms. Martin at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 26. Clan Currie sponsors the annual award to recognize excellence in the mastering of the Scottish harp or clarsach – the traditional instrument of the Scottish bards. The 2007 winner was Jill Rogoff.
Harp competition adjudicator, Sharon Knowles, had high praise for Martin. “Kate shows excellent promise as a harp player. She obviously studies hard with her teacher and I am expecting her to do great things in the future!” Harp competition coordinator, Jo Morrison, added that “Kate shows great potential to be a leader in harping in the future.” Currie praised the games organizers for hosting the harp competition. “It’s extremely important that the Scottish harp have a presence at Highland Games and Gatherings. It’s every bit a part of the Scotland’s musical history as the bagpipe or the fiddle. Through the competition, many people get their first exposure to the Scottish harp and will know where to go if they want to further their knowledge or take up the instrument.”
In other clan-related competitions, Clan Currie placed sixth in their third year of competing in the Games’ “Punkin Chunkin” event. All Clans and Societies participating in the games are eligible to compete in the annual event. The prize for farthest “chunk” is a free tent space at the following year’s festival. Society member Melanie Young, daughter of Margaret Currie Young of Crewe, Virginia served as the designated clan “chunker. “ Learn more about the graceful art of punkin chunkin by clicking here. Over 25,000 visitors attended the 2008 Festival which also hosted one of the country’s few sanctioned North American Highland Games Championships for heavy athletics. The festival also played host to the 2008 US National Scottish Fiddle Championship. About Kate Martin Katherine “Kate” Leigh Martin has been playing the harp since elementary school and especially enjoys Celtic and medieval music, performed on the lever harp. Kate is proud of her Scottish heritage and was please to participate in the pan-Celtic harp competition. She studies harp under Elizabeth Dechent and is a member of the James River Harp Ensemble. Kate has played the harp at church, in hospitals and nursing homes, and for holiday events. Kate is a sophomore Visual Arts major at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (ARGS) in Petersburg. Kate, an honor student, is co-consul of the Latin Club and chairman of the sophomore class fundraising committee. Outside of school, she fences with the Chester Knights. Kate commented, “I would like to thank Clan Currie for this honor. I appreciate the supportive comments from the judge and plan to participate in the harp competition at next year’s Games. I also want to thank my wonderful harp instructor and mentor, Beth Dechent.”
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