Make music for ancient Greek harp with Bill Taylor and Nancy Thym

Explore the distinctive sound-world of the ancient Greek harp through collaborative work on rhythm, tuning, accompaniment, and composition. Centred on chromatic harps based on Apulian evidence from the fifth to third centuries BCE, the course investigates approaches capable of realising surviving ancient Greek musical notations and supporting sung performance.

Through practical workshops, ensemble sessions, and experimental composition, you’ll work closely with singers, dancers, and percussionists from the outset, developing music that grows directly from ancient verse rhythms and embodied performance. The course places particular emphasis on hearing and navigating alternative tuning systems, understanding the physical geography of the instrument, and developing fluency across both diatonic and chromatic approaches.

By the end of the week, you’ll have contributed to an emerging repertoire for ancient Greek harp and voice, while developing new approaches to accompaniment, tuning, and rhythm grounded in practical experimentation with the surviving evidence.

Book here