Writing

The Orchestral Harp

A graduate research project, designed in Spring 2020 as a resource for ensemble harpists and musicians.

The Blossoming of the Harp

UNT Honors College Thesis, reviewed and published in the Summer 2018 edition of The American Harp Journal.

Gliére, Erdely, and the Harp in Russia

An undergraduate research paper, published in the 2017 edition of the UNT Eagle Feather.

Arrangements

Eleanor Plunkett // Turlough O’Carolan // arranged Ruth Mertens Thompson // for 3 harps

Brian Boru’s March // Traditional Irish // arranged Ruth Mertens Thompson // for 4 harps

Scottish Farewell Songs Suite // Traditional Scottish // arranged Ruth Mertens Thompson // for 4 harps

Videos

Concertstück pour Harpe and Orchestra, Op.39 (1903) by Gabriel Pierné

Performed by Ruth Mertens, accompanied by Hyunsuk Kim

In March 2017, Ruth won third prize for her performance of Concertstück in the Lewisville Lake Symphony International Competition for Strings and Harp. She recorded and submitted the following audition video to the competition in December 2016 and was subsequently selected as one of the ten soloists to compete in the final round of the competition, held in March 2017 at the University of North Texas. In between recording this video and competing in the final round of the Lewisville competition, Ruth performed Concertstück with the UNT Concert Orchestra in the 2016-2017 UNT Concerto Competition Winners Concert.

Entr’acte for flute and harp (1935) by Jacques Ibert

Performed by Daniel Ward, flute, and Ruth Mertens, harp

Ruth collaborated with flutist Daniel Ward on his senior recital in the spring of 2017.

 

“What Makes You Beautiful,” originally performed by One Direction, written by Rami Yacoub, Savan Kotecha, and Carl Falk, arranged for harp ensemble by Ruth Mertens

Performed by the UNT HarpBeats

In the 2017-2018 school year Ruth arranged two different pieces for the harp ensemble to perform. “What Makes You Beautiful” was the closing piece on a Spring 2018 Recital the HarpBeats gave at UNT.

 

“Brian Boru’s March,” Traditional Irish melody, arranged for harp ensemble by Ruth Mertens

Performed by the UNT HarpBeats

This is one of the two pieces Ruth arranged for the UNT HarpBeats in the 2017-2018 school year. The HarpBeats featured “Brian Boru’s March” on their Spring 2018 recital at UNT.

“Rhosymedre,” from Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes (1920) by Ralph Vaughan Williams, arranged for harp ensemble by Ruth Mertens

Performed by the UNT HarpBeats

Ruth arranged this organ prelude for the University of North Texas harp ensemble during her first semester studying at UNT. The ensemble performed the arrangement in the spring of 2016.