CELIA HARPER worked for many years as a keyboard continuo player and latterly double harpist, playing and recording with most of Britain's early music ensembles in concert and opera.
She was for many years particularly associated with Kent Opera's baroque productions under Sir Roger Norrington. She has taught as a singer's style coach on early music at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh and also with the European Union Baroque Orchestra. Her interest in researching 17th and 18th century music led to her devising several series of music programmes for S4C, the Welsh Television Channel. Celia has been composing since 1994 and has had works premiered by Michael Chance and Fretwork, Felicity Palmer CBE, Canterbury Chamber Choir, Chiswick Baroque and the Joyful Company of Singers among others.
Her ensemble Sulis has been involved in ground-breaking research into music and healing at Bristol Cancer Help Centre. Patients listening to her music felt less stressed and showed significantly raised levels of immunoglobulin A, an immune status indicator, and reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In 2007 Celia won joint 2nd prize and 3rd prize in the English Poetry and Song Society's song writing competition and an ensuing song cycle was premiered by Michael George in 2008.
She is currently working on songs about British wildlife for 4-7 year olds and a Patronal Mass commission.
See her personal website for more information.