Suppliers
Michael J King replicas based on specific archaeological finds.
Silvershell Musical Instruments
Ælfric Germanic Harp Music Harps, Owner’s Manual, CD Tutorial
Thurau-Harfenmanufaktur These folks make custom historical harps in addition to their catalog. They made Benjamin Bagby’s lyre.
Musicians
Benjamin Bagby/Sequentia
Interview with Benjamin Bagby by Andante Magazine
Biography of Benjamin Bagby on the site for Sequentia, an ensemble he directs
Benjamin Bagby’s Beowulf He performs Beowulf accompanying himself on a lyre. I got to see this in Eugene, Oregon in 2005 and it was amazing. He will perform the whole thing at the Lincoln Center in 2006. I believe a DVD of his performance will be available after that.
Lost Songs of a Rhineland Harper by Sequentia
The Rhinegold Curse: A Germanic Saga of Greed and Revenge from the Medieval Icelandic Edda by Sequentia
EDDA: An Icelandic Saga, Myths from Medieval Iceland by Sequentia
Tim Rayborn
Ælfric Lord
Harp Runes From Allfather’s Hall
Songs of the Elder Trow
The Wita
Songs of the Ancient Goths
The Art of Theodish Galdorcraft
Bragod
Kaingk by Bragod Welsh Lyre and Crwth music.
Stephen Winstanley
Archaeology
Prittlewell, England
Sutton Hoo Lyre, England
Snape, England
Bergh Apton, England
Morning Thorpe, England
Taplow, England
Scole – Lyre Bridge and Tuning Peg, England – Bridge and tuning peg in the British Museum
Oberflacht, Germany – The most interesting is a real specimen of wood found in an Alamannic tomb of the 4th to the 7th century at Oberflachtf in the Black Forest, and now preserved in the Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin (Picture of replica of it in the Met)
Abingdon – Lyre Bow Fragments, England
Cologne, Germany
Kerch, Germany
Hedeby, Germany
Bridges for the instrument have also been found at places as far apart as York and Sweden.
Trossingen, Germany
Anglo-Saxon Lyre Tuning Key with Boar terminal, possibly mid 7th-century, from Gayton, Norfolk, private collection
On Line Articles
The Saxon Lyre: History, Construction, and Playing Techniques by Dofinn-Hallr Morrisson and Þóra Sharptooth
Making a Simple Lyre By Patrick Woolery
The Beowulf Bardic Board: a Lyre by Lavrans Reimer-Møller
The Anglo-Saxon Hearpe by Peter C. Horn (Wiðowinde Issue 115, page 22)
Tuning the Sutton Hoo Instrument by Master Orrick of Romney
Sutton Hoo Cithara by Sir Andras Salamandra
Floregium – instruments contains notes by Þóra Sharptooth on the Sutton Hoo lyre
Tuning the Lyre and Crwth by Bragod
Anglo-Saxon Lyres by Michael J King Several pages with links to archaeological information, lyres he makes, mp3s to hear what they sound like, and how to tune an play them.
Hexachords, Solmization, and Musica Ficta by Margo Schulter Section 1 has information on tuning a 6 string lyre.
North European Lyre Bragod tunes and plays the lyre MP4 Quicktime video
Books
Savelli, Mary. The Lyre Handbook: Playing Methods of the Anglo-Saxon Lyre with Directions for Construction. This contains a good bibliography and exercises in modern musical notation.
Taylor, Ronald Zachary. Making Early Stringed Instruments.
Lawson, G. “Stringed Musical Instruments: Artefacts in the Archaeology of North-West Europe 500 B.C. – A.D. 1200.” University of Cambridge Doctoral Dissertation, 1980 (unpublished).
Ælfric (Michael Moell). The Germanic Harp Owner�s Manual This is written for someone who cannot read music. The exercises are explained in words, and it contains a song based on Cædmon’s Hymn written in tablature.
Periodicals
Bruce-Mitford, R. L. S. “The Sutton Hoo Musical Instrument.” Archaeological News Letter 1 (1948).
Wrenn, C. L. “Two Anglo-Saxon Harps.” Comparative Literature 14 (1962).
Bessinger, J. “Beowulf and the Harp at Sutton Hoo.” University of Toronto Quarterly 27 (1957).
Images
David Playing the lyre Vespasian Psalter (London, British Library, MS Cotton Vespasian A. i, f. 30v-31)
David Rex Durham Cassiodorus (Durham, Cathedral Library Ms B. II. 30, fol. 81v)
David Playing His Lyre Clonmacnois, Ireland. Cross of the Scriptures. South Side. Panel S2
Man Seated playing a Lyre Sockburn, England. Cross fragments