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PRESS
REVIEWS
"The
Only Reason We Can Think of NOT to Buy This
DVD: You don't have a DVD player, and you
don't know anyone on the planet who has a
DVD player, and you never plan to ever see
a DVD, ever, ever, ever -- for the rest of
your life." - Sylvia Woods Harp Center
(Read the Top
15 Reasons Why You Should Have DHC's "Invention
& Alchemy" DVD)
"Absolutely
flattened me. I have never seen anything like
this before. The influences are clear —
you can hear bits of Robert Burns, Raymond
Scott, Rimsky-Korsakov, here and there —
but it's all Deborah and her amazing harp
and her marvelously-crafted orchestrations,
telling stories you had no idea you wanted
to hear right up to the point where you don't
ever want her to stop." - Charles
"Chaz" Hill, Dustbury.com (Read
full
article)
"The
audio is vibrant, and the visuals pop. The
quirky tunes and comical tales are by the
dynamic, irrepressible Henson-Conant, who
does for the folk harp what Andres Segovia,
Les Paul and Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar."
- Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk, The Grand Rapids
Press (Read the full
article)
"Prepare
to be blown away, astounded, up-lifted and
rejuvenated...has you perched on the edge
of your seat from start to finish." -
Heaven Phoenix, SheUnlimited Magazine
(Read
the full
article)
"A
CD/DVD project that challenges convention
with its fusion of electric harp and symphony
orchestra, storytelling and music, and undulating
rhythms in a seeming paradox: a complementary
clash of styles...Henson-Conant commands the
stage with her wild, colorful hair and matching
personality, embodying the spirit of the production
-- or more aptly put, infusing her spirit
into the music and choreography that surrounds
her." - Jennifer Mann, Arlington
Advocate
"Whether
you love the harp, love Deborah or just love
a fun time, "Invention & Alchemy"
is sure to be a hit!" - Ariel Gabriel,
The Harp Connection
"Henson-Conant
is amazingly versatile, moving easily from
the comedy of "Baroque Flamenco,"
"Stress Analysis," and "The
Garbageman," to the sweet sentimentality
of "The Nightingale" and the pulsing
exoticism of "996" (based on the
"1,001 Nights"), with many a quirky
detour through her vivid imagination. Yet
there is more to this charismatic artist than
the entertaining show she puts on: she is
also responsible for the lavish orchestration
of each arrangement on the program, and she
demonstrates a phenomenal aptitude for all
musical styles, from classical and international
to blues and folk." - AllMusic.com
"Features
a bravura performance by Henson-Conant, who
plays the harp with skill, imagination, flourish
and artistic electricity." - Richard
Duckett, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
"Four
stars! Through her unique fantasies she spices
it with witty stories, so that ["Invention
& Alchemy"] turns out to be a live
album in the very best sense." - Global-Mojo.com
FAN
REVIEWS
"Inspiring
and most impressive...the "Invention
& Alchemy" of [Henson-Conant's] harping
and personality are equaled by the brilliant
production and recording of the DVD."
- Cynthia Price-Glynn, Principal Harpist
with the Boston Ballet and Director of the
Harp Department at the Boston Conservatory
"What
a joy to see and hear such a creative orchestral
performance on film! The collaboration, talent
and ingenuity is both amazing and engaging!
Whether you are a concert lover, seasoned
musician or an interested newcomer, this experience
is great fun!" - Melody Chartier,
Music Educator
"I
am seldom moved to tears by a music DVD, but
this one did it -- repeatedly!" - David
M. Ice, Symphony Harpist (from Amazon.com
reviews)
"Deborah
and the G.R. Symphony are awesome! The performance
was certainly Grammy Worthy! Not only was
it fun to watch, it inspired my 10 year old
daughter to take out her violin and practice."
- Eric Wold
"[Deborah]
has created a whole new level of excellence.
As a composer, she is one of the most talented.
As a story-teller, she is hypnotic. As a stage
presence, she will entertain you in ways you
only dreamed of as a child...The DVD is my
most treasured of all my CDs and DVDs! This
is worth much more than 5 stars." - Deva
K. Kolb (from Amazon.com
reviews)
"One
has to experience Deborah's ability to touch
the audience through her music, her words
and her being...We have watched her DVD many
times and it never ceases to cause us happiness
and joy." - Deborah (age 52) and
Rebecca (age 21) Dempesy
"This
DVD is so fantastic I want to buy it for everyone
I know. I was speechless! I have never seen
a harp played like this before, in fact, I
have very seldom seen any instrument played
this well and with this much creativity and
energy before...Even my six-year old son was
enthralled. This is the most fantastic performance
I have ever seen!" - Jo Ann Banks
(from Amazon.com
reviews)
"In
watching the DVD, I was struck by the extreme
difference in the time and preparation that
lead up to the beautiful duet with DHC and
Lockington ("996"). The conception
of the back story that lead to Deborah's writing
of the duet piece, the orchestrating of the
entire piece for the symphony, the time spent
refining and rehearsing, the attention given
to the pauses between the notes (as shown
in the DVD special feature story on this piece),
the theatrical aspect of props/costuming,
and the whole "gestalt" of the "996"
performance...it is like seeing an Olympic
athlete, who has even created a new sport
to excel in! Whether soaring in the moment
of the "unsafe" leap, or carefully
executing a well-rehearsed movement, Deborah
definitely rates a "10" on the Olympic
scale." - P.F. (Swampscott, MA)
"My
11-year old daughter took one look at Deborah
and we couldn't get her away from the TV set.
She dived right into all the special features
-- finding the "White Rabbit" clips
with glee -- and now we can't stop singing
along! Thank you for this wonderful DVD!"
- L.N. (Florida)
"The
DVD is high-quality, professional and worth
every penny. The photography captures up-close-and-personal
her nuances, enthusiasm, energy and tremendous
talent. The lighting, colors and orchestra
all blend with fabulous music to make this
DVD worth buying and watching. I highly recommend
it!" - P. Cosel (from Amazon.com
reviews)
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