The Sharpsichord is a musical instrument created by Henry Dagg in Faversham, Kent.[1] It is a pin-barrel harp that plays music using a system of pegs, like a music box.[2][3] The pegs slot into a grid of 11,520 holes[1] to program songs onto a 46-string harp using a chromatic scale.[4] The harp is then amplified by a pair of large horns.[1][4] The instrument can also be played more traditionally using a keyboard.[4] The Sharpsichord is solar-powered and can play 90 seconds of music at a time.[5][4][6] It is made of stainless steel and weighs 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) altogether.[4][7] Dagg has stated that the Sharpsichord is intended as a tribute to Cecil Sharp, a collector of folk music.[4]
| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Chordophone |
| Inventor(s) | Henry Dagg |
| Developed | 21st century |
| Musicians | |
| Björk | |
It took around four years for Dagg to create the Sharpsichord after he was enabled to do so following a commission from the English Folk Dance and Song Society in 2006.[1] The society asked Dagg to create a trio of instruments to use in a "sound garden" following a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.[3][5] Dagg only produced one instrument: the Sharpsichord.[4] Due to the Sharpsichord being perishable it was not able to be used in the garden and Dagg later had to refund the money.[7][5] The instrument took a total of £90,000 to build. The Sharpsichord was used by Björk on her Biophilia tour for the song Sacrifice.[7][8][4][6][9][10][11]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Inventor unveils 'sharpsichord'". BBC News. 2010-01-26. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ "Sharpsichord". Classic FM. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ a b "Pin barrel harp needs new home". www.telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Sharpsichord - Created By Henry Dagg". Clash Magazine. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ a b c "HENRY DAGG - FOCUS ON SOUND SCULPTURE". The Faversham Eye. 2020-12-18. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ a b "9 bizarre, unique instruments – from the gameleste to the pikasso guitar". Red Bull. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ a b c "What the Hell is a Sharpsichord?". www.vice.com. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ Peluchetti, Ami (2016-12-22). Ecotronica. Ami Peluchetti.
- ^ "A Guide To Björk's Custom Biophilia Instruments". www.vice.com. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Pin barrel harp". Kent Online. 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ KOS Media (2010-02-03). Your Swale, Issue 123, February 3, 2010.