In recent years, one of the stand-out events of the Glasbury Arts programme has been the Harp Summer School, which this year returns for a seventh outing, once again offering workshops and masterclasses for up to 40 young people and adults to help improve their harp playing in a range of genres.

The school will be led by renowned harpists and tutors including the Summer School’s Director of Music Harriet Earis (jazz/fusion harp and improvisation); Eleanor Turner (classical harp), and Adriano Sangineto (Italian folk and continental dance music).Traditional Welsh harpist and singer Gwenan Gibbard will also be joining the school on Friday, August 31 to provide a Masterclass and Recital.

Workshops and classes will be run over the four days, culminating in a concert featuring the students and teachers. On Thursday, August 30 there will also be a live “jamming session” at the River Café for older students.

Harriet believes that part of the appeal to harpists is the opportunity the summer school presents to play with people who share their passion.

“The harp can be a solitary instrument so it’s lovely to have the chance to play with other harpists, people who share your passion.

“And Glasbury Arts’ summer school is fantastic – so well organised and very friendly. With so many participants coming back year after year, it’s become a group of old friends.”

One Glasbury Arts Harp School participant, 18-year-old Gareth Swindail, who has played the harp for more than ten years, is sure that the Summer School played a major part in encouraging his passion for the instrument.

“If I hadn’t gone," he says, “I’d probably have given it up. Even on the first day of the school in 2015 I went home thinking I was not going back but I went on the second day and loved it. It really gave my playing a boost and I’ve been loving the harp ever since.

What’s especially good, says Gareth, is the different kinds of music the tutors work with. “Grades concentrate on the same sort of pieces, over and over again. But at Glasbury, we were playing completely different genres of music and it was absolutely fantastic!"

Glasbury Arts Harp Summer School runs from August 29 to September 1.

On the final day students and tutors will come together to present the Summer School Concert, an opportunity to discover the fabulous range of music played on the harp. The concert takes place at Gwernyfed High School at 3pm.

For further details and to book a place at summer school or concert tickets, visit glasburyarts.co.uk.