Possibly the most ornate instrument on display in the orchestra is the harp. These elegant structures with around 47 strings, beautifully carved pillars and quite often gilt frames, sit towards the back of the string section with the keyboard instruments – usually there are one or two harps in the orchestra, but sometimes more which creates quite a visual treat.

The harp is played by the harpist plucking the strings with both hands, and there are seven foot pedals which the harpist uses to flatten or sharpen the notes. As you can imagine with so many strings, keeping a harp in tune is a lengthy process, and if you’re early in the concert hall you can probably catch the harpist tuning up long before everyone else!

The harp was quite a recent addition to the symphony orchestra, Berlioz being one of the earliest composers to try it out. Tchaikovsky was a great influence in the use of the harp, and one of the best-known harp parts can be found in his ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ from The Nutcracker.

• The harp has a range of 6 and a half octaves • To aid visual recognition, all F strings are black or blue and all C strings are red • Harps are capable of many different effects, including sweeping glissandos (slides) and harmonics • The frame of the harp looks solid, but is actually hollow. It still manages to weigh in at 5 stone or more