Jun 22 2021 26 mins
OI Podcast Episode 13
The Lyre Ensemble, Part 1
Recreating the Gold Lyre of Ur
What might ancient Mesopotamian music sound like?
Inspired by both this question and the 2003 looting at the Baghdad Museum, harpist Andy Lowings set out to recreate a playable replica of the iconic Gold Lyre of Ur. Andy, along with his friend Jennifer Sturdy, enlisted the help of academics, students, artisans, and musicians to faithfully reconstruct the ancient instrument. Their journey resulted in a series of recordings, concerts, and radio broadcasts, all featuring the haunting sounds of the ancient lyre.
With part 1 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, we start our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East.
A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E
To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/
To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member
The Lyre Ensemble, Part 1
Recreating the Gold Lyre of Ur
What might ancient Mesopotamian music sound like?
Inspired by both this question and the 2003 looting at the Baghdad Museum, harpist Andy Lowings set out to recreate a playable replica of the iconic Gold Lyre of Ur. Andy, along with his friend Jennifer Sturdy, enlisted the help of academics, students, artisans, and musicians to faithfully reconstruct the ancient instrument. Their journey resulted in a series of recordings, concerts, and radio broadcasts, all featuring the haunting sounds of the ancient lyre.
With part 1 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, we start our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East.
A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E
To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/
To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member