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On a quiet Saturday night in mid-December, harper Cynthia Shelhart is excellent company. It's been a long day, and the house has been filled with family members and friends, all in celebration of the season. Still, I've been on the go since before dawn, and I could use some quiet time to unwind and contemplate--before moving on to my next big project. Thankfully, there is Cynthia Shelhart, wearing a welcoming smile and playing the double-strung harp with virtuosity and emotion. Her instrumental offering That Night in Bethlehem wraps the softest, most comforting blanket of beautiful seasonal music about my shoulders, and I sink into its simple luxuries and relax. The Christmas season is here, and Shelhart's gentle, yet spirited, arrangements put a smile on my face and lightened my holiday load by a notch or two.

Before I even heard Shelhart first notes, I knew that I would like this artist. As an initial matter, I like strings and believe that harp music in particular displays a special synergy with holiday fare. Second, when I opened her digipak, Shelhart greeted me with a great photo revealing the biggest smile--the sort of smile you wear as you break into laughter. I thought to myself, "Now THIS is a sign of good things to come!" Happily, it really was.

Back to the music. It's all about Shelhart, her harp, and her delightfully developed arrangements of seasonal offerings. The music is bright, charming, and relaxing. Shelhart employs a light touch; the resulting bars are cheerful and uplifting, even when the music is low-key and introspective. Her arrangements often feature medleys that meld two well-known carols together; the resulting constructions are a natural fit. Shelhart smartly incorporates her two originals into medleys; the newcomers blend seamlessly with the better-known partners.

This is truly a wonderful release. Some harp offerings create the impression of angels on steroids, with flowery runs that seem more theatrical than musically effective. That's not the case here. Shelhart has impressive technical skills, but she allocates them oh-so-appropriately to maximize the crystalline sound without unnecessary stunts. As a result, her double-strung harp sings with crisp clarity and emotional depth--outstanding!

What a treat! I am now ready to face Christmas, which awaits just six days from now. Cynthia Shelhart's lovely That Night in Bethlehem has straightened me out after a long stretch of too many tasks and too little sleep. Thank you!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Cynthia Shelhart
Cynthia plays a Mirror Meadows 29x2 double-strung harp by William Rees Instruments, LLC, Rising Sun, IN.

All harp arrangements by Cynthia Shelhart, HarperCraft Productions.


From the artist's Website:

About the artist:
Cynthia Shelhart performs, teaches and publishes traditional & contemporary music for double-strung harp. Based near Chicago in northwest Indiana, her performances feature traditional music of Scotland & Ireland, instrumental classics by Duane Allman and Chick Corea, and her own compositions.

About the album:
That Night in Bethlehem offers listeners a variety of medieval to modern carols, songs and dance tunes, performed by Cynthia Shelhart on solo double-strung harp. Celtic holiday music of Wales, Ireland, Shetland, and the Isle of Man complements carols from England, France, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia and Appalachia, along with Cynthia's original compositions for the Christmas season.

Cynthia Shelhart

That Night in Bethlehem

Artist link

Track List