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Valley of the Dragon
A truly magical book
of 13 new tunes that tell the story of what happens when a dragon wakes up
from 100 years of slumber.
You don't have to slay the dragon when
a hero with a harp can save the day!
A collaboration of mother, Sharon and daughter, Rosiee!
And now a recording of this is available. Check it out here
You can see Dave and I playing some of the music from this
book at a house concert in Portland, Oregon in 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhV__gKI9PA
This book is for intermediate beginners to advanced players. The tunes are
in Cm, Dm, C, Am, G, Em and D. There is one lever change. Three pieces have
accidental levers set before playing the piece. I added some fingerings where
I thought they would be helpful.
Cover by Earl
Newman.
13 tunes - $20.00; audio mp4s: $5. For a pdf of this book, email me for a
paypal invoice or pay $20 to harps@thorharp.com through paypal. I will email
the pdf to you.
And now a recording of this is available. Check it out here
For international sales, please email
me.
How did this book happen?
My daughter, Rosiee Thor, a published author, approached me in September
of 2021 with an idea to write a story about a harpist and a dragon. She asked
me if I would like to write some music for it. Of course, I said “Yes!
I would love to.”
She gave me a prologue for a book that she is
planning to write someday in the future and that became the inspiration for
this music and the story. For the next year I was continually visited by my
muse writing a total of 13 tunes and naming them with the phrases from the
prologue.
I then took Rosiee’s prologue and created
a new story with a musical program that can be used in it’s entirety
or pared down for a shorter program. Rosiee doesn’t know if she will
ever actually write this book, but I am happy with the music and story that
we created together.
The prologue is included in the book in it’s
complete form along with a long and a short version of the revised story that
I wrote from the prologue to go with the music.
Here is a sample:
"The harpist glides down the pathway into the Valley
of the Dragon where wanderers are
rarely seen. She carries her harp, a single Wing of Alder and Ash strapped
to her back.
The wire strings of her harp are her only defense against the dragon."
Songs include:
Valley of the Dragon
Shamrock, Amber and Ivory
The Dragon Wakes
The Kingdom's Bravest
A Wing of Alder and Ash
Field of the Dead
The Cloudy Sky Has Opened
The Harper's Hands
The Dragon's Tail
The Dragon Sleeps
The Hero's Song
With A Song, Not A Sword
A Glint of Yellow Light
The keys in this book include Cm, Dm, C, Am, G, Em and D.
Digital mp3s can be purchased to accompany this book for $5.
This audio is played by my computer harp setting and is EXACTLY what is on
the page. It is useful as a learning tool.
The book is $20. With audio recordings: $25 EARL
NEWMAN, Cover Artist
What people are saying about Valley of the Dragon:
"I wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying this collection!
I started at the beginning and am learning “The Dragon’s Tail” and “The
Dragon Sleeps” now. I adore the melodies and the different patterns,
including getting practice with thumb slides and working out fingerings. They’re
fun to play, and these two are my favorites-so far!" Rebecca Robinson,
Corvallis, Oregon
"I love all your titles and am excited about your new project.
I am especially drawn to part A of The Hero’s Song. Your creative
muse is a genius." Becky Szymanski, Salem, Oregon
"Can’t wait to share a project with mom! All your
music is so easy on the eyes! Love it!" Julie Garrigan, Ohio
"This is a spectacular book. Absolutely love every song in it.
You have done yourself proud!" Beth Stockdell, Arkansas (Editor
of the Folk Harp Journal)
"What fun this is! And people can use it in story telling for
either a short or long presentation -- great idea!" Verlene Schermer,
San Jose, California
"Once again, Sharon Thormahlen has created a book filled to the brim with
marvelous tunes. My two personal favorites are “The Cloudy Sky Has Opened” and “With
A Song, Not A Sword,” but all of the ‘baker’s dozen’ are
terrific - both as stand alone pieces or as part of the Dragon story. Sharon
is highly skilled at creating full-sounding songs that still remain totally
accessible to the player. The melodies in Valley Of The Dragon are delightful,
the arrangements fall well under the fingers, and the mood of every tune perfectly
suits the role it represents in the story. Definitely a must-have book!" Jan
Dromlewicz, Corvallis, Oregon
Hi Sharon,
"What lovely melodies you’ve created! I really get the sense of
being in a fable about dragons when I listen to the songs. I’d like to
learn several of them." Christine Kidd, Salem, Oregon
"I just want you to know that I can't stop playing the Valley
of the Dragons tune.......it is mesmerizing me.... Thanks so much for composing
it!" Maria Wilson, Seattle, Washington
"I just wanted to let you know I'm working on the first
song in your book and enjoying the lovely haunting melody. I find the music
really interesting and the story intriguing. I'm learning to read the
bass clef notes so I can play both hands as I do on the piano. This first piece
is just the right level to challenge me but not be frustrating." Trish
Soward, Washington
I love this music and story so much! The art is wonderful, too.
I am a bit obsessed over playing these pieces and still cannot pick a favorite!
I had an especially lovely time last Friday at our homeschool park day when
I had two small harps with me, which all of the children from ages 6-13 were
ecstatically taking turns playing, and I told them some harp-related stories,
including Valley of the Dragon. You should have seen how drawn into the story
they all were. Perhaps the sweetest moment came towards the end when I asked
Jet, a darling little boy who had waited for turns over and over again, if
he liked the harp. He said, “I love the harp! I want to play the harp
my whole life long! I want to play the harp in heaven!” Camille
Schmidt, California
Go back to the Books,
or go to another book page:
A Rose in Winter
The Singing Tree
Gossamer Gate
Sweepin' the Clouds Away
Dance Thru the Music
Where the Fingers Fall
Shalom
'Tis the Season
Waltz Upon a Time
Cabin Fever for Two
Prelude for Peace
Moon Over the Mountain
Sunset on Seattle
Season's Greetings
Under the Double Rainbow
Fiddlin' Around on the Harp
Melodías del Arpa
Beautiful Dreams for Twin Harps
Beneath the Pines
Valley of the Dragon
Bard in the Parlor
Ordering information:
All of these books are available directly from Thormahlen Harps. If
you don't want to order through PayPal, no problem just email
me or call me (541 753-4334) and I'll work up the invoice for
you. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.
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