Madeleine Doherty trained as a Celtic harpist and singer in Ireland
If you’re considering having a harpist perform at your wedding, you’re in good company! One of the world’s most ancient instruments, the harp has a noble history and has been an integral part of human ritual and ceremony for thousands of years. More than any other instrument, it is associated with beauty, love, health and happiness. Instrument of kings and angels, it is a perfect choice for your perfect day.
Madeleine Doherty trained as a Celtic harpist and singer in Ireland. Her work brought her to the US where she won a scholarship to study classical music. She has toured Europe, the US and the Caribbean and has recorded for radio and television in Ireland. The added dimension of the rhythmic influences gained from working with both rock and blues musicians, gives an earthy element to her playing. This broadens her range to include musical genres not normally associated with the harp. Her trademark orchestral blue concert harp is both acoustic and electric and the first of its kind in Ireland!
Madeleine has many years experience of providing a voice and harp duo for a full range of corporate and private functions. She has played for private and business dinners and receptions, weddings and cocktail parties. Madeleine’s voice and harp repertoire is very extensive with something for every occasion.
For many couples, the harp makes their wedding ceremony unforgettably beautiful and emotionally charged. Loud enough to create an atmosphere, the harp is never intrusive. In fact, it can convey through music the essence of your love as a couple. The music couples choose for their wedding ceremony can be a direct reflection of their personal style and taste. It will set the scene, create the atmosphere, and highlight both the joy and solemnity of the day.
Madeleine’s preferred approach is to sit with a couple and plan the ceremony. Some clients are non-church goers and have no experience of designing a specialised ceremony. For church ceremonies, Madeleine’s liturgical training has proved to be of great benefit to couples trying to personalise their wedding. She is aware of what will and will not, be accepted in the various churches and her knowledge imparted at an early stage, can help avoid a lot of disappointment later on. “I really enjoy these initial meetings and find them very relaxing. In fact couples tell me that they often look back on their memories of that day and realize that it was one of the few times coming up to the wedding, when they were not fraught with worry!”
One 2003 wedding stands out for Madeleine as being the most unusual. “I performed at a Japanese/Italian wedding in Dublin. The couple involved included both cultures in the ceremony. The bride was Japanese and her family brought over special Japanese paper for the ceremony booklets plus traditional gifts for all involved in the ceremony. The groom’s family was very much involved in the content of the ceremony and all readings had to be read out in three languages, Japanese, Italian and English. In fact some of them were also read out in French as well!
Madeleine can perform as many as five songs throughout the ceremony, not including pre-ceremony and incidental music. She can also sing in several languages. The cost per event ranges from â‚ ¬280-â‚ ¬400 depending on the amount of travel involved and whether accommodation costs are necessary.
