When a harp is mentioned, people often think of the colossal instrument on the symphony stage.

However, in Europe, the harp remains primarily a folk instrument, intimately connected to people's secular lives. Its origins may date back several thousand years, possibly inspired by the bow and arrow.

Even today, in ancient Greek murals and mythology, we can still find the presence of the harp.

The harp that appears on stage today is a modification by the 19th-century French piano maker S. Erard, based on various folk harp designs of different sizes and shapes. It features forty-seven strings of varying lengths and seven pedals.

Compared to the smaller folk harps, the concert harp has a broader range and easier transposition. In orchestral arrangements, the concert harp serves as a special coloristic instrument, providing harmonic accompaniment and glissando-style embellishments due to its rich timbre and beauty.

Composers began using the harp after Beethoven's time. In works such as Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique," Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," and Smetana's symphonic poem "Dear Homeland," the harp delivers outstanding performances.

Unlike the concert harp in concerts, the folk harp has a diverse family. It comes in various types and shapes, and its sound varies depending on the material of the strings—bright and clear, soft and delicate, or ancient and mellow. Traditional harp styles include Celtic harp, Gothic harp, and Paraguayan harp. Among them, the Celtic harp, also known as the Irish harp, is the most renowned.

Over a thousand years ago, carrying the small harp, Celtic people spread across the European continent, leading to the widespread dissemination of the small harp in Europe, which gradually evolved into a crucial instrument in European music.

The Celtic harp was not regarded as folk or lower-class music. On the contrary, among all forms of art in Europe, the harp belonged to the highest status. In medieval Ireland and Scotland, the harp was on par with poetry as the highest form of art, and harpists were appointed by kings. In the 17th century, harpists often resided in Celtic noble houses, and during that time, harp, poetry, and drama all became part of noble music life and courtly social culture.

Celtic harpists could be seen in various European courts, mainly employed by royal courts in London, Denmark, Spain, and Poland. By the late 18th century, the status of harpists declined, and the Celtic harp gradually faded from the courts, but this did not diminish their former status and legend.

Celtic people have closely linked life and the harp for centuries, so even today, people refer to such small harps as Celtic harps. The concert pedal harp used in orchestras is a development and transformation of the small harp.

In the chords of the Celtic harp, we hear ancient heritage, while in the timbre of the concert harp, we feel the grandeur of symphonic music. The harp, as an ancient and diverse instrument, has always borne people's love and longing for music.

From folk to symphonic, from ancient to modern, it has been blooming with a unique melody in our lives, allowing us to wander in the ocean of music and feel the brilliance of culture and the charm of tradition.