The Pin Barrel Harp

Two years ago, Henry Dagg - the renowned musical-saw player and creator of sound sculptures - was commissioned by the English Folk Dance and Song Society to make three new instruments to be sited in their garden, open to the public, at Cecil Sharpe House, Regents Park, London. Henry lives in an old pop (or brush) factory in Faversham, where he has an astonishing collection of machine tools, beautiful objects from the great era of British engineering. He has lathes, band-saws, jigs, cutters, drills, a forge, and much more. All this stuff lives on the shop floor. He lives in one room in the old offices, bed at one end of the room, and kitchen at the other. The conditions are not attractive. He has no time to think about decorations or improvements. Every moment is spent on his creations.

The largest and first of the commissioned pieces for EFDSS is a Pin Barrel Harp, probably to be named a Sharpe-sichord in honour of its commissioner. The money for this project came from the Lottery who allocated £50,000 for remodelling the garden, the design and creation of the three new sound sculptures, and then their installation. Not much, really.

The Pin Barrel Harp project was to have been made in cast bronze, but the price of bronze shot up far beyond the budget almost immediately and Henry, having consulted EFDSS, agreed to redesign the whole thing in stainless steel. Working with this bright but extremely difficult metal has prolonged the project long past its planned finishing date. The Lottery people are wondering where their project is, EFDSS are tapping their fingers, and Henry has run out of money. He has had no time to go out busking to earn his pitifully small income.

Faversham is doing its bit to help, with a Wine and Wisdom evening to raise some ready cash for him. And we are seeking out rich patrons who might be attracted by the old-style technique by which artist geniuses could keep body and soul together. What would serve is someone sufficiently rich and illuminated to give him a grant of £10 or £15 thousands a year for a few years. I'm sure it would be tax-deductible. If this were Japan, Henry would be recognised and pensioned as a National Treasure.

The Pin Barrel Harp has to be seen to be believed. It slightly resembles one of those garden sofa-swings, in size and shape. It has solar panels on top, and two enormous stereo speaker horns at the front. There is a kind of piano-frame at the back with 46 stainless steel strings, each tensioned by its own oscillating weight so that the sound has a natural vibration. The strings will be plucked by a series of 2,000 pins placed on a revolving cylinder or barrel in the middle of the instrument. Although it is only about two-thirds finished, it is already possible to get a sense of its voice - a rich, unearthly, harmonious tone and a good vibrato.

Surely a rock band will want to use this, or a Hollywood film-maker? Someone from that world could afford to think about keeping Henry alive. His inventions are marvellous, amusing, thought-provoking, welcoming, extraordinary, exquisite and joyous. He is another of Faversham's ornaments, and if you want to get a feel for what he is like, then go and see the railings round his house. They are fully tuned, with the score of an original tune worked all round in steel, and they were given their World Premiere on international television by virtuosos percussionist Evelyn Glennie.