Follow a Celtic dream and find an enchanted moment when you hear the harp and guitar duo of Lana Donnelly(Quinn) and Byron Olsen as they sing original songs and perform traditional melodies!
They sing about the sand dunes along Prince Edward Island’s north shore, the silver sage on the hills of Saskatchewan’s river valleys, the magic of fireflies in June, and an unusual hockey game. They also perform tunes written by Ireland’s best known composer Turlough O’Carolan. The singer/songwriter duo features Lana’s 36 string Celtic harp and soprano voice, and Byron’s blues guitar and vocals. Together they create an ethereal yet upbeat sound. Lana grew up in Charlottetown surrounded by the influences of its Irish-Scottish roots, and the folk music of the 70’s and 80‘s. She began studying piano at age 10, guitar at 13, and in her late teens she began to sing, write songs, and perform. In 1980's she moved to Saskatchewan and studied voice at the University of Regina. She recorded an album of original spiritual music in 1996.
The music of Loreena McKennitt created an irresistible urge in Lana to play the harp. In 2000 she bought a 36 string Celtic harp, and in 2004 released a second CD. She has been featured at many concerts and special events, including a banquet for Saskatchewan’s premier, the Her-i-cane Festival, and a North American conference on “Spirit and Intellect”.
Byron grew up in Prince Albert. He became fascinated with guitar and technology as a teenager, and has been performing professionally since 1972. At age 19 he was in a band that recorded four songs in CBC’s Winnipeg studio, with Ian Thomas as the producer. His background of rock, blues, and folk music, found him performing in a number of groups. Byron is best known as a singer/guitarist for the Saskatchewan band “Crooked Creek”, the house band for Ness Creek Music Festival for many years. Their performance credits include a conference for Canada’s premiers, the Regina Folk Festival, and the Alberta North and South Country Fairs. He recorded and produced their 4 albums and has produced CD projects for other Saskatchewan artists.
Lana and Byron began to co-write songs in 2008 with the goal of creating complimentary arrangements for harp and guitar. Lana’s style is characterized by her classical training and love for traditional music. Byron’s style is characterized by blues and slide guitar. The duo under the name “Gild the Lily” released their “Firefly “CD in November 2011. The songs showcase strong vocal harmonies and innovative arrangements. “Firefly” has 8 original songs, and 4 traditional Celtic instrumentals.
In 2013, the duo changed their name to "Harp in the Hills" and their most recent project has been a concert series in PEI during the summers of 2012-2017. They received a PEI 2014 grant to perform 9 concerts across PEI in July 2014 as part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the "Fathers of Confederation" meeting. Their most recent performances include a reception for the Irish minister of Culture(PEI), "An Evening With the Tudors" (SK), a pre-concert for "Quartette" ( SK), and as special guests with the Eclipse Choir in their annual Christmas special(Broadway Theater, Saskatoon, SK).
Lana returned to PEI in 2015 to assist her elderly parents. Byron lives in Saskatchewan, and performs regularly with several groups. The duo gets together occasionally, however Lana continues to perform in PEI at concerts, special events, and weddings under the "Harp in the Hills" name. She has performed with the A Cappella Choir, at the Watermark Theatre, at variety concerts at the BIS, and St Paul's cathedral, and as an accompanist for Tara Maclean, and Adam Brazier, at the Confederation Centre and on CTV. July and August 2018, she performed 4 days a week in the Garden Theatre, at the Preserve Company in New Glasgow. Please visit the events page for a list of past performances.
Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
They sing about the sand dunes along Prince Edward Island’s north shore, the silver sage on the hills of Saskatchewan’s river valleys, the magic of fireflies in June, and an unusual hockey game. They also perform tunes written by Ireland’s best known composer Turlough O’Carolan. The singer/songwriter duo features Lana’s 36 string Celtic harp and soprano voice, and Byron’s blues guitar and vocals. Together they create an ethereal yet upbeat sound. Lana grew up in Charlottetown surrounded by the influences of its Irish-Scottish roots, and the folk music of the 70’s and 80‘s. She began studying piano at age 10, guitar at 13, and in her late teens she began to sing, write songs, and perform. In 1980's she moved to Saskatchewan and studied voice at the University of Regina. She recorded an album of original spiritual music in 1996.
The music of Loreena McKennitt created an irresistible urge in Lana to play the harp. In 2000 she bought a 36 string Celtic harp, and in 2004 released a second CD. She has been featured at many concerts and special events, including a banquet for Saskatchewan’s premier, the Her-i-cane Festival, and a North American conference on “Spirit and Intellect”.
Byron grew up in Prince Albert. He became fascinated with guitar and technology as a teenager, and has been performing professionally since 1972. At age 19 he was in a band that recorded four songs in CBC’s Winnipeg studio, with Ian Thomas as the producer. His background of rock, blues, and folk music, found him performing in a number of groups. Byron is best known as a singer/guitarist for the Saskatchewan band “Crooked Creek”, the house band for Ness Creek Music Festival for many years. Their performance credits include a conference for Canada’s premiers, the Regina Folk Festival, and the Alberta North and South Country Fairs. He recorded and produced their 4 albums and has produced CD projects for other Saskatchewan artists.
Lana and Byron began to co-write songs in 2008 with the goal of creating complimentary arrangements for harp and guitar. Lana’s style is characterized by her classical training and love for traditional music. Byron’s style is characterized by blues and slide guitar. The duo under the name “Gild the Lily” released their “Firefly “CD in November 2011. The songs showcase strong vocal harmonies and innovative arrangements. “Firefly” has 8 original songs, and 4 traditional Celtic instrumentals.
In 2013, the duo changed their name to "Harp in the Hills" and their most recent project has been a concert series in PEI during the summers of 2012-2017. They received a PEI 2014 grant to perform 9 concerts across PEI in July 2014 as part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the "Fathers of Confederation" meeting. Their most recent performances include a reception for the Irish minister of Culture(PEI), "An Evening With the Tudors" (SK), a pre-concert for "Quartette" ( SK), and as special guests with the Eclipse Choir in their annual Christmas special(Broadway Theater, Saskatoon, SK).
Lana returned to PEI in 2015 to assist her elderly parents. Byron lives in Saskatchewan, and performs regularly with several groups. The duo gets together occasionally, however Lana continues to perform in PEI at concerts, special events, and weddings under the "Harp in the Hills" name. She has performed with the A Cappella Choir, at the Watermark Theatre, at variety concerts at the BIS, and St Paul's cathedral, and as an accompanist for Tara Maclean, and Adam Brazier, at the Confederation Centre and on CTV. July and August 2018, she performed 4 days a week in the Garden Theatre, at the Preserve Company in New Glasgow. Please visit the events page for a list of past performances.
Electronic Press Kit (EPK)