Come and Try the Harp gives you an hour with an instrument you may have heard on stage but never had the chance to play. Fran Barsby leads the Harp on Wight workshop at Ryde Methodist Church, introducing the basic technique and helping participants get started. Harp exhibitors supply instruments for this session, so you can try the strings without owning a harp or bringing one across the Isle of Wight.
The workshop welcomes all ages and offers help for anyone who wants to take the instrument further. You can use the session to find out how it feels to play, ask about the first steps and decide whether you would like to continue learning. Its focus on basic technique makes this a practical introduction rather than a concert to sit through. You will have a tutor to explain the approach as you try it, which removes some of the uncertainty of starting with an unfamiliar instrument on your own.
The session takes place in the church itself on Garfield Road, from 2pm to 3pm on Thursday 22 October. A place costs £10 for the one-hour workshop. Book through Harp on Wight before travelling, as the organiser limits the available places. Set aside time to reach the church and settle in before the session begins. If trying the instrument leaves you wanting to hear more, the island's music programme offers concerts and other live performances to put in your diary.