The Jews-Harp in Britain and Ireland

Michael Wright is a leading performer, historian and enthusiast of the jews-harp in the United Kingdom. His research into the social history of the instrument is ensuring that the full scope of the jews-harp’s contribution to trade and entertainment is recorded. Often asked the question ’why is it called a jews-harp?’ and ’where does it come from?’ he began what has become a life-long quest to draw together the various fragments of information available. He has written articles for the Galpin Society Journal, the Folk Music Journal and the International Jews Harp Society Journal exploring various aspects of the instrument’s history. Parallel and complementary to his research has been the exploration of the possibilities of the jews-harp as a musical instrument. These two strands - musical possibilities and social history - continue to fascinate him.