He'd never even seen one up close until one day, when he was in his mid-fifties, he found himself entranced by a harpist in Bellingen.

"There was a lady playing a big harp at the Old Butter Factory," Denny said. "I was just mesmerised by it. I stood there listening and watching her play for about half an hour.

"And when she stopped playing, she looked up at me and said, 'would you like to have a go?'"

Denny could already play guitar and mandolin, but taking up the harp presented a different kind of challenge: they cost thousands of dollars.

"So I decided to make one myself," he said.

He was a building carpenter by trade and had fine joinery experience as well, which made the task a little easier.

Before long, people were coming and asking him to make a harp for them too, and his business on Waterfall Way, Denwar Harps, was born.

Now 78 years old, Denny estimates that he has made about 500 harps in the last quarter of a century, ranging from the smaller 'therapy harps' that stand about 3ft high and take about a week to make, up to the large classical harps that are 5ft 3" and are built in stages over five or six weeks.

The therapy harp, as the name suggests, is ideal for playing in hospitals.

"It's very lightly strung, gives a really nice soothing resonance when you pluck the strings," Denny said. "It's not bright like a bell, so I call it my therapy harp."

Harps are also good for palliative care settings and even for soothing the savage beast.

"A lady who was helping out at Mogo Zoo on the south coast bought a harp from me a few years ago and proceeded to play it to the zoo animals," Denny said.

Another notable customer was author Bryce Courtney, who bought a harp for his wife when he was in Bellingen for a writers festival.

Until arthritis began affecting his hands, Denny would take a harp to Bellingen Hospital or the Bellorana aged care facility once a week and perform for the residents.

"Sometimes if there was someone close to death, I would be allowed to go in and play my harp gently for them. You feel like you are helping them to transition," he said.

He hasn't been able to do that for the last few months.

"With the arthritis, I couldn't play the way I did before. I've had to relearn a method of playing."

Once the COVID-19 crisis has passed, he hopes to resume his visits and fill the halls with sweet soothing music again.