Thomas Lofke plays harp at Kauaeranga Hall.
Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island, the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebrides in the Northwest of Scotland, and the Shetlands, are the places where Berlin-based harpist and photographer Thomas Loefke spends a considerable amount of time every year composing music.
On Sunday, June 11,
Thomas will be entertaining his audience with a harp concert, accompanied by a slideshow of some of his dramatic photos - coastal landscapes, the wide open space of the Atlantic Ocean, and the rich wildlife of the North Atlantic.
Thomas’ music gives expression to the sounds of the Celtic Middle Ages, the lively dances of Irish folk music, along with his own original compositions.
Thomas learnt his trade in Dublin from Ireland’s leading harp players - Máire Ní Cháthasaigh, Helen Davies, Jeanette Harbison and Áine Ní Dhúill. Since 1984 he has been playing professionally and has won several international prizes.
“People are listening to quiet haunting music again,” says Thomas. “It’s amazing how the sound of the harp takes the speed out of everyday life and brings you back to a sort of tingling slowness.”
