Vardy is a creative and inspired performer and has explored music from many corners of the earth.

- Gulf Islands Driftwood

Alison Vardy

Solo Celtic harp music is Alison's passion. She started playing the harp in 1985 while living in Gore, a small town in the South Island of New Zealand, noted for its annual country music festival. Alison was able to pursue a more Celtic flavour when she moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, and was soon active in the New Edinburgh Folk Club. Alison now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and performs extensively on the Paraguayan and Celtic harps for concerts, weddings, schools, corporate, recording sessions, community and private events. Alison's most recent CD, Island Suite (2003) has brought her music home to Canada with an emphasis on Canadian and Westcoast themes. Alison's repertoire is constantly expanding as she explores the many voices of the harp. Initially Celtic, then Celtic and Latin and then music of the world translated and arranged for harp. Her current repertoire reflects her passion for multicultural music. She is now on an exploration of early Canadian tunes and early music in general. Alison now works primarily as a soloist but has been a part of duos and ensembles, and is currently collaborating with other musicians with the desire to present a duo concert series. For the last six years Alison has presented concerts throughout British Columbia's Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland.

Island Suite      listen      buy now	visit official website      return to roster page
Island Suite features two harps - Alison's Sandpiper Celtic harp and her self-built Paraguayan harp. The tunes include a mixture of Canadian, Quebecois, Celtic, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), and World Ethnic music plus eight of Alison's own original compositions. With only nine seconds of blank space left on this CD the listener can journey deeply into Alison's world of rhythm and musical intrigue in a single listening. Island Suite is unusual in that the audible sound seems to come from within. Sit in a natural triangle with your two stereo speakers, close your eyes and the harp sounds like it is inside your head. It is almost a meditation. Wander around your home with Alison's lively natural sounding Celtic harp music floating in the background or come back and sit down to your very own personal concert, literally.