Rupert's Fun Facts
Rupert is Katie's teaching assistant. His imaginative contribution to lessons is always welcome.
Now Rupert is making his debut in writing, with some novel ideas about harps and harping.
There are lots of different meanings for the word harp - it can be a type of musical instrument, the name of a star, a kind of sea shell or even a verb.
Thomas Moore was an Irish Catholic, the son of a Dublin grocer. His poetry and songs were popular in Regency England. In 1807 Moore wrote "The harp that once through Tara's halls" which reflects the loss of Irish culture under English rule in Ireland.
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The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls,
As if that soul were fled. —
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts, that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more.
No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells;
The chord alone, that breaks at night,
Its tale of ruin tells.
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
The only throb she gives,
Is when some heart indignant breaks,
To show that still she lives.
Harps are like tulips -
Tulips don't shout for attention; they bloom in quiet grace.
Katie McClaughry - Wedding Harpist