Don’t let the title scare you. What Richard Thompson did for the guitar, Myra Kovary has done for the harp. This recording is a relaxing journey through some of the most popular tunes of time. Where Thompson was reacting to an tongue-in-cheek challenge from Rolling Stone (what were the most popular songs of the last thousand years?), Kovary has invited us in to listen to fifteen of her favorite tunes through time. This is an invitation you don’t want to turn down.

Ithaca harpist, Myra Kovary has played harp with orchestras across New York, for the Dali Lama during his 1991 visit to Ithaca, and at the United Nations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She has several recordings with flautist Laura Campbell, including music composed specially for her by Laurie Conrad. This is a harpist who plays well with others. Kovary’s first solo CD, In Pursuit of Happiness, allows her considerable talent and technique to shine.

Popping this CD into the player is the musical equivalent of pouring yourself a cup of tea, settling into a comfy chair, and having someone rub your shoulders. There’s something magical about the sound of harp - the variations of tone and color, the resonance of the strings, the range of sound that can be produced in the hands of a master. Myra’s new solo CD lets allows the voice of the harp to have our full attention. Thanks to masterful engineering by Will Russell at Electric Wilburland Studios, each note rings clear.

The songs Kovary presents are so familiar that each one is a visit with an old friend. And yet, the harp arrangements are fresh and new, letting us know that these old friends have something new to express. From 16th century Pavan and traditional Welsh and English songs, through Bach, Beethoven, and Debussy, all the way to Stephen Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns, Kovary presents a tour which is sure to further anyone’s pursuit of happiness. This CD is the perfect gift for that someone in your life who could use  some time to relax.