Hello Martin and welcome, it has been quiet here all summer as people
have been away in the real world...

From what little I know about the subject Ardival bray harps seem
excellent instruments, but for early Gaelic harps you might be better
off looking at the HHSI's Student Replicas by Dave Kortier: http://
www.irishharp.org/shop

About Ann's books - Secrets is the original version of First Tunes -
that is to say First Tunes is a slimmed down reissue of Secrets. Both
concentrate on the 1st 4 tunes - Fair Molly through to Burns March -
though Secrets has far more preparatory exercises. Then both include
the next 4 tunes, Smarmore to Dawn of Day. The big difference is that
Secrets has 8 further tunes, as well as photos, decoration, amusing
poems and anecdotes etc... Also Secrets has a lavish 2 colour
tablature for fingering, placing and damping where First Tunes re-
sets it in black-and-white.

On the other hand much of the scholarship and approach in Secrets has
been superseded; some of the quotes are "off", and some of the
arrangement is not up to current standards.

Coupled Hands moves off in a quite different direction, teaching
different techniques using different tunes - as Ann's understanding
of the repertory and technique changed so I think this book explains
her more uptodate ideas.

I mean in summary that of course completeness is one's ideal and one
wants to have a copy of each book, but if you can get "First Tunes"
and "Coupled Hands" they will cover pretty much everything, and by
the time you have exhausted them you'll be a proficient player indeed!

Interesting questions on Cock up your beaver - but that'll do for now

Simon