World-famous harpist to present concert in Marion
World famous harpist to present concert
Sept. 20 in Marion
Staff writer
Greg Buchanan, famed gospel-jazz harpist, will present a concert at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Marion Christian Church.
Buchanan plays in a high-energy, enthusiastic, aggressive, improvisational style. He has toured the U.S. giving these concerts for more than 20 years. He played in the U.S. Naval Band for four years.
He plays three different harps in his concerts. He shares his personal journey of faith along with his musical talents. He gives salvation testimony and tells of his deliverance from chemical and alcohol addictions.
Buchanan will play hymns, praise and worship music, favorite gospel songs, and original compositions.
He began playing the harp at age 9. He works a great deal in prison ministries.
He is the first harpist in the world to own and play the electronic grand harp developed and handcrafted by Lyon and Healy of Chicago.
He also performs on an Irish folk (Celtic) harp and a kinnor or Davidic harp. The Davidic is also known as King David's harp.
It is a 10-stringed instrument that resembles a lyre, Buchanan said.
He calls his concerts Hallelujah Concerts — "praise the Lord."
He lived for several years in Lenexa, and attended church in Overland Park. "I liked the Kansas City, Kansas, area. I liked the mindset of the people. It was really good to live there."
He and his wife and children live in Santa Ana, in Orange County, Calif., now. He has played many concerts in Kansas, but this will be his first in Marion.
The Santa Ana winds have come to Southern California once again he said, with winds up to 95 mph. His brother-in-law recently had to pay a bill for $3,000 for a new roof because of the "Santa Anas," he said.
He is currently traveling without his family. "They travel with me in the summers and on weekends sometimes," Buchanan said. He was in Tucson, Ariz., when he called the Marion County Record Monday afternoon.
He said he was in the world's, secular music system before he became a Christian performer and minister through music.
He has adapted pop and jazz music for the harp. "God wants me to share my love of the Lord by playing the harp," he said.
"Lots of Christian music can be played in a fun, jazzy, upbeat way," he said. Some of the music he will play will be meditative in nature.
He plays 200 cities a year. That gives him 165 days at home. He takes three weeks off at Christmas time and three others in the summer.
He and his family "love to camp," he said. "We camped recently in Zion National Park in Utah. It's great for anyone who likes geology."
Buchanan encourages his concert audiences to sing along with the harp melodies, if they feel like it. He shares personal testimony about his past with alcohol and drugs.
Some of the songs he'll play here are likely to include "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho," "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "Mary, Did You Know?," "O Danny Boy," and "When the Saints Go Marchin' In."
There also will be contemporary Christian songs such as "You Are My All in All."
The Marion concert will last about 90 minutes, he said. On weeknights they are about one hour, but on Friday and Saturday nights, he makes them half again as long.
He flies to the starting points of his tours, then drives, putting 60,000 to 70,000 miles a year on cars, he said.
"It's a privilege to get to do what I do. There were the sweetest folks at a little church in Tucson Sunday night (where he performed). It was so beautiful. You wake up the next morning with a warm fuzzy. It (music) transcends language.
"It's all about the love of the Lord. I invite people to come out for my Marion concert."
Buchanan has recorded nine albums of harp music.
A free-will offering will be taken.
