Michelle Velvin HARPIST
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Compositions

Find all of my compositions at my Gumroad shop here: michellevelvin.gumroad.com
Purchase The Paekākāriki Blues (The Coral Blues)
The Paekākāriki Blues (The Coral Blues) is inspired by both Deborah Henson-Conant’s solo harp work New Blues, and the vibrant and virtuoso harmonica player Coral Trimmer. Coral Trimmer and I first performed together as soloists with the Kapiti Concert Orchestra performing the second movement of Dorothea Franchi’s Concertino for harmonica, harp and strings in 2020.

This piece is approximately grade 8 level
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Buy The Sparrows are Building their Nests - for solo harp
A sweet solo for harp to express the joy of the sparrows as they flitter through our garden on sunny days to find material for their nests.
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Buy The January Collection
​A collection of summery songs for the New Zealand summer holidays.
I.
II.
III.
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Buy The February Collection
This is a set of three rain inspired songs for the harp. The second song "Gabrielle" is named after the cyclone of the same name which recently stormed through the North Island of New Zealand.
I. The Rain Song
II. Gabrielle
III. After the Storm
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Buy The March Collection
This is a set of songs for the harp.
I. Undercurrents
II. A Daisy for You
III. Chasing the Flame
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Buy The April Collection
A collection of three pieces to capture the feeling of an Autumn April in Wellington, New Zealand.

I. The Misty Green 
II. The Shaded Grove
III. Autumn Afternoon 
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Buy The May Collection
Music inspired by the coming Winter in New Zealand.

I. The Winter Hideaway https://youtu.be/CbdXlyCTbpQ

II. The Waning Moon https://youtu.be/FBFyImX1QFI
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III. Shadows of the Night https://youtu.be/W_oGXuR8qJU


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Buy The June Collection
I. Watching the Leaves Fall https://youtu.be/UZWkyqThLug

II. Climbing the Crows Nest https://youtu.be/n8RR_9gEyFg
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The second piece 'Climbing the Crow's Nest' is inspired by folk harp music. It is named after the nickname for the mountaintop near my home. To reach the top of the summit you must climb through thick native bush, then expansive farmland and then brave the super windy narrow paths to reach the top.




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Buy the September Collection
There are three pieces in this collection:

Running to the Hills: 
https://youtu.be/00scKVUyHfk
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In the Long Grass: https://youtu.be/_X_sgDbcnUg
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The Lake Lullaby: https://youtu.be/puVPGuxqdGs
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Buy The October Collection
A collection of 6 pieces inspired by October in Wellington New Zealand. Spring is on its way!

1. The Bee
2. The Other Side
3. Lullaby for Sammy
4. The Fantail
5. Little Trotty Feet
6. Lament
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Buy The December Collection
There are three pieces in this collection:

I. Christmas Trees and Pohutukawa Tree
II. On the Farm
III. With These Eyes
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Buy Lullaby for Baby - for solo harp
A wee lullaby written for a friends newborn baby
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Buy Sunflowers of Summer - for two harps
A summery sunshine duet for two harps. Inspired by the masses of sunflowers growing outside my window.
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Buy Shades of Coral - for two harps
A fun jazzy duo for two harps. It is inspired by the sound of the virtuosic harmonica player Coral Trimmer!
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Buy Glimmer - for two harps
​Glimmer is a short duet for two harps, (either lever or pedal). One of the characteristics of this composition is the feeling of syncopation in the melody against the accompaniment when changing between semiquavers and dotted quavers.
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Buy Dance of the Kea - for two harps
Dance of the Kea is a duet for two harps (either lever or pedal) that characterises the cheekiness and feistiness of the New Zealand native parrot, the Kea.
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Buy Kawakawa and Kakabeak for lever harp duo
A musing on the colours of the native forest of Wellington New Zealand.
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Buy Reflections for harp duo
A fun duet for beginner harpists of a grade 2-3 level.

​This duet is an arrangement of my solo work 'Reflections', which you can find in my book "10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 1"
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Buy A Wish to Be for lever or pedal harp duo
​A whimsical and catchy duet for two harps.
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Buy Ebony for harp duo
A fun duet for beginner harpists of a grade 2-3 level.

​This duet is an arrangement of my solo work 'Ebony', which you can find in my book "10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 1"
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Buy Poneke - duet for soprano saxophone and harp
A duet for soprano saxophone and harp, written as a new miniature for saxophonist Genevieve Davidson and I to add to our performance repertoire.

The melody line can also be performed by either flute or oboe.
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Buy Sister to the Sky for soprano saxophone and harp
The Sister to the Sky, for soprano saxophone and harp is a melancholy duet written for Genevieve Davidson (saxophone) and Michelle Velvin (harp).


This download includes alternative parts for flute and oboe.


















Buy Still Life - for alto saxophone, piano and harp
Still Life - trio for alto saxophone, piano and harp (2021)

                                                                                   Michelle Velvin

Still Life for alto saxophone, piano and harp is based upon the poem Still Life by Genevieve Davidson. The piano and harp intertwining emotes cloud banks at the front of a storm, whilst the saxophone represents the old smooth sliding banks of the stone river. The deep water sunlight below the kelp is heard in the undulating pulses in the piano and harp in the middle section of the work: imagine looking upwards from under the sea at the dappled light refracting on the surface of the water.

Still Life
A grey velveteen sky.

This is where we met, chestnuts on the green picnic bench.

In Autumn, the air clasped sharpley beneath the bone branches of the silver birch.
We watch the old smooth sliding banks of the stone river reflect the lowering night.

In Spring, all shaded in dark greens, I love you through the beech tree sepia, beneath the deep kelp water sunlight.

The inner paintings within the movements of life.
We rest together, you and I.
A still life in our frame.
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Buy Still life- duet for alto saxophone and harp
Still Life - Duet for alto saxophone and harp (2021)

This is a duet version of my trio with the same name.
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Still Life for alto saxophone and harp is based upon the poem Still Life by Genevieve Davidson. The harp  emotes cloud banks at the front of a storm, whilst the saxophone represents the old smooth sliding banks of the stone river. The deep water sunlight below the kelp is heard in the pulses of the harp. Imagine looking upwards from under the sea at the dappled light refracting on the surface of the water.

​This download includes the original duets harp part and also a revised/alternative version of the harp part.
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Still Life
A grey velveteen sky.
This is where we met, chestnuts on the green picnic bench.
In Autumn, the air clasped sharpley beneath the bone branches of the silver birch.
We watch the old smooth sliding banks of the stone river reflect the lowering night.
In Spring, all shaded in dark greens, I love you through the beech tree sepia, beneath the deep kelp water sunlight.
The inner paintings within the movements of life.
We rest together, you and I.
A still life in our frame.
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But The Moon for Soprano Saxophone and harp
The Moon for soprano saxophone and harp is a melancholy duet written for Genevieve Davidson (saxophone) and Michelle Velvin (harp).


This download includes alternative parts for flute and oboe.
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Buy Autumn Nest Building for piano, soprano saxophone and harp
Michelle Velvin’s Autumn Nest Building is for soprano saxophone, piano, and pedal harp. 
On this unique piece, Velvin says it “is the journey of a small bird from hatchling to full flight. The composition begins with the stillness of the nest amongst the treetops. The saxophone intrudes with moments of cracking and tapping as the bird begins to make its way out of the egg. We hear flitterings and flutterings, and poppings and burstings as the wee bird shakes out its feathers and marvels at the birds eye point of view.” 


This product includes one transposed score and one score in the key of C.


This is a graphic score, to be interpreted and improvised from freely.
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Buy Seven Easy Duets for Beginner Harpists
A collection of seven original easy and fun harp duets for beginner harp players.

Contents

1. Spinning (in circles)

2. A Garden of Orange Flowers

3. Yellow Fields

4. Hide and Seek

5. Mountains of Glass

6. Fairyland Dreams
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7. The Wanderer


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Buy Spinning (In Circles) for two harps
Michelle Velvin’s “Spinning (in circles)” is for two lever or pedal harps. This short, playful duet is great for beginning harpists. This piece was written in 2021.
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Buy The Wanderer for two harps
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 

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Buy Hide and Seek for two harps
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 

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Buy A Garden of Orange Flowers
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 

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Buy Mountains of Glass for Two Harps
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 

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Buy Yellow Fields for Two Harps
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 

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Buy Fairyland Dreams for Two Harps
An interesting duet for two beginner lever harpists. 
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Buy Nature Nurture for two harps
A short duet about nature and our connections to the environment.
Suitable for lever or pedal harps. No lever changes or pedal changes.
Suitable for advanced beginner.
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Buy Harakeke for two harps
Harakeke for two harps is a duet about the New Zealand native flax harakeke, used for many things including weaving. 


Suitable for advanced beginner or intermediate harpist.
Suitable for pedal or lever harp, there are no chromatic changes in the music. 


Please note this PDF is PDF stamped and it may take a few minutes for the download link to appear in your email inbox. 
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Buy Passing Days harp duet
'Passing Days' is a duet for either lever or pedal harps.

​Suitable for advanced beginner to intermediate ability.
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Buy Melodies of Summer
'Melodies of Summer' is a set of two short and easy pieces suitable for either lever or pedal harp.

1. The Last of the Sweet Summer Cider
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2. Under the Silver Ferns
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Buy When I Was a Bird
for solo soprano saxophone
When I was a bird for solo soprano saxophone is inspired by the poem of the same name by Katherine Mansfield. It was first performed at the International Melbourne Saxophone Festival, June 2019 by Genevieve Davidson, in a programme based on the idea of the unifying and universal influence of birds and birdsong in compositions for saxophone.


Commissioned note: Commissioned by Genevieve Davidson
Performance history
30 Jun 2019: Performed by Genevieve Davidson at Melbourne International Saxophone Festival
22 Sep 2019: SMP Ensemble | Reflections
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Buy Spring Lullabies for solo harp
Three short pieces for beginner harp player inspired by the change in seasons.
I. Butterfly Creek
II. Under the Ferns
III. Gentle Stream
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Buy Oruatua: Songs for Tauranga Taupo (for solo lever harp)
A collection of 10 pieces for beginner to intermediate harpist, inspired by my favourite childhood summers.


Contents
1. Floating Down the River
2. Haze
3. Looking Down Through the Still Water
4. Tickling Fish
5. Skimming Stone
6. Oruatua
7. Fetching the Milk
8. Shaping Pumice
9. Tui in the Red Hot Pokers
10. Under the Milky Way
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Buy Three dances of the Ocean, Sky and Forest for harp ensemble
Three Dances of the Ocean, Sky and Forest is a suite of three dances to be performed by harp ensemble, with live dancers interwoven into the performance. Each movement has a unique character for the musicians and dancers to explore:


Contents
I. Of the Ocean (A lyrical dance)
II. Of the Sky (A slipjig)
III. Of the Forest (A tango)


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Buy Five Short Tunes for Lever Harp Ensemble
A suite of five short tunes written for the Wellington Harp Orchestra in 2018. Each tune was created to capture a snippet of a mood or a feeling.


Suitable for beginner to intermediate ensemble.


Dedication note: for the Wellington Harp Orchestra
Contents:
1. A Quiet Morning
2. Clockwork
3. Catch the Ice-cream Truck!
4. Wavelet
5. Look Through the Rain


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Buy Dawn Till Dusk – Three Short Pieces for harp ensemble
A suite of harp ensemble music to capture the journey of a misty morning.
Suitable for beginner to intermediate harp ensemble.


Contents:
I. Dawn: Droplets of water fall into a clear pool
II. The Changing of the Tides
III. Dusk: Everything stills
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Buy Daydream for harp duo or harp ensemble
Michelle Velvin’s Daydream is for two lever or pedal harps. This short and bittersweet composition will put your audience in a daydream with its gentle melody and hypnotic, undulating arpeggios.
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Buy Into the Forest for harp duo or harp ensemble
Into the Forest is a short piece for harp duo or harp ensemble. 
Suitable for beginner and intermediate harpist.
Into the Forest evolved from musing upon the following words while they were swirling around and around in my mind:
"Light came out of the forest
One more step
You and I;
I wanted to see you
I wanted to see you"
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Buy Under Watchful Eyes - A Walk Through the Tudor Gardens for Harp Trio
Under Watchful Eyes – A walk through the Tudor Gardens, for harp trio, was written for Harpenz 2015. 
Suitable for intermediate harpists. 
Harpenz is a four day harp ensemble workshop which is run every odd-numbered year in Auckland. Run since 2001 (when it was known as 'Harp Weekend'), it has survived the hatchings, matchings, and dispatchings of the organisers and attendees and has organically grown into an exciting event on the NZ harp calendar.


Commissioned note: written for Harpenz 2015
Dedication note: for Harpenz 2015
Performance history: 18 Apr 2015 - Performed by Harpenz 2015 participants in Auckland
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Buy The Willow, (for harp trio or ensemble) by Michelle Velvin
The Willow is a short care-free tune, originally written for the Wellington Harp Orchestra (also available in a version for solo harp).


Performance history
02 Jun 2015: Performed by the Wellington Harp Orchestra in Wellington, NZ
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Buy The Willow, (for solo harp) by Michelle Velvin
The Willow is a short care-free tune, originally written for the Wellington Harp Orchestra (also available in a version for harp ensemble).
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Buy The Happiness Collection: Volume 1
​51 solo harp songs for beginner harpist, arranged from easiest to hardest. 

These 51 songs have been composed as a collection to support the development of new harpists.
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Inspired by past and present students.
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Buy The Happiness Collection: Volume 2
These 51 songs have been composed as a collection to support the development of new harpists.

​This collection follows on from volume 1 of the same name.

The first 26 songs are all in C major and fit within a 28 string harp. The majority of the rest of the collection also fit within a 28 string range.

Inspired by my past and present students.
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Buy 10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 1 by Michelle Velvin
​This collection consists of 10 short solo harp pieces for beginner to intermediate harpist, which are set to capture a snippet of time and a moment of feeling. Based around modes and delicate motifs, each piece is entirely different in character and style. Inspired by a favourite composer of mine, Bernard Andres, I have tried to capture a sense of colour and light into each piece, whilst also keeping the technical difficulty suitable to beginner and intermediate harpists. 

Contents:
1. Mood
2. Reflections
3. Meditation
4. Ebony
5. The Texture of Trees
6. Dust on the Fireplace
7. Underside
8. Origami Cranes
9. Underground
10. Garden of Green


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Buy 10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 2 by Michelle Velvin
​This collection consists of 10 short solo harp pieces for beginner to intermediate harpist, which are set to capture a snippet of time and a moment of feeling. Based around modes and delicate motifs, each piece is entirely different in character and style. Inspired by a favourite composer of mine, Bernard Andres, I have tried to capture a sense of colour and light into each piece, whilst also keeping the technical difficulty suitable to beginner and intermediate harpists. 

Contents

1. Droplets
2. Stepping on Mossy Rocks
3. The Night is for Dreaming
4. Light
5. Nym
6. Sinking
7. Porcelain
8. Tauranga Taupō in Summer
9. Shimmer
10. Catching Fish Under the Bridge

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Buy 10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 3 by Michelle Velvin
​This collection consists of 10 short solo harp pieces for beginner to intermediate harpist, which are set to capture a snippet of time and a moment of feeling. Based around modes and delicate motifs, each piece is entirely different in character and style. Inspired by a favourite composer of mine, Bernard Andres, I have tried to capture a sense of colour and light into each piece, whilst also keeping the technical difficulty suitable to beginner and intermediate harpists. 
​
Contents
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1. Floyd the Budgie
2. Hail on My Window
3. Arrow
4. Travelling down the Old Road
5. Opening Spaces
6. Feathering
7. Swirling
8. Cathedral
9. Catching the Lambs in Springtime
10. Digging in the Sand
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Buy 10 Preludes for Harp: Volume 4 by Michelle Velvin
​This collection consists of 10 short solo harp pieces for beginner to intermediate harpist, which are set to capture a snippet of time and a moment of feeling. Based around modes and delicate motifs, each piece is entirely different in character and style. Inspired by a favourite composer of mine, Bernard Andres, I have tried to capture a sense of colour and light into each piece, whilst also keeping the technical difficulty suitable to beginner and intermediate harpists. ​

Contents
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1. Don't Look Behind
2. Plants on my Windowsill
3. Vessel on the Water
4. Gentle Breeze
5. Stars in the Sky
6. No Clouds Today
7. Translucent Veins
8. Scrape
9. Black & White
10. When it Never Arrives
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  • Home
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Biography
    • Past Events
  • Shop Compositions
  • Weddings and Events
    • Flute and Harp: Duet Repertoire
  • Lessons
  • Contact
  • Harps of the South