Live Lyre Music at the Roman Baths

On 19th May 2012, I had the immense honour of being invited to play my lyre  at the world famous Roman Baths at Bath Spa, UK! My performance was part of a truly fabulous event at the Roman Baths organized by Bath Spa University students, which was called "Roman Sensations"


The event, held between 8.15pm - 11pm, evocatively lit by the flickering flames of torches, was part of the "Museums at Night"  initiative...

 

 

The event was based around 3 themes: Muses (music and literature), The Senses, and Appetite. I provided live background music on my lyre, as well as giving a series of short talks on my lyre, its history and the ancient lyre-playing techniques I use in my albums...

Live at the Roman Baths at Bath Spa 19th May 2012!_resized 


There follows  a series of videos, featuring live footage of this unique  gig. Here is a video of my performance of "Epitaph of Seikilos" (c.100 BCE) from my album "The Ancient Greek Lyre"

 

Next, is my live performance of "The Flight of Mercury", from my new album, "Ode To Ancient Rome":

 

The video below is of my live performance at the Roman Baths, of "The First Delphic Hymn To Apollo" (c.128 BCE):

 

Rather appropriately, the next video features my live performance by the Great Bath, of  "Ode To Ancient Rome" - track 1 from my album, "Ode To Ancient Rome":

 

The next video features live performances by the eerie  Gorgon's Head amphitheater section of the Roman Baths, of a selection of music by Mesomedes of Crete, including "Hymn to the Muse" (composed c.130 CE) :

 

The next video, also filmed at the Gorgon's Head amphitheatre, features a live performance of "Sacred Reverie" - track 1 of my album "Ancient Vibrations". This performance demonstrates the ancient lyre playing techniques of string stopping to play accidentals on the lyre, as well as the unique Mesopotamian percussive lyre-playing technique:

 

 

The next video, also performed at the Gorgon's Head amphitheater, features a live performance of "Ancient Visions", from the same album:

 

 

The next video features a clip of my performance of "Echoes of Ancient Ur", from my album "Ancient Visions - New Compositions For An Ancient Lyre":

 

 

The following video features my performance of "Echoes of Ancient Rome" - track 1 from my album, "Echoes of Ancient Rome". Sat here, beneath the eerie "Gorgon's Head" at the ruins of the Temple of Minerva, I almost felt as if I was in some scene from "The Wicker Man"!

 

The final video features my performance of "Hymn to Zeus" from my album "Apollo's Lyre":

 


The most amazing practical discovery I made during this gig, was just how well the sound of my little unamplified lyre carried throughout this awesome, ancient historical building. This to me, demonstrates that the lyres of antiquity were no doubt designed to be played in such spaces. It was a truly haunting experience... 

Live at the Roman Baths at Bath Spa 19th May 2012!

 


 

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