Duo 4500-year-old reproduction lyre & pipes

This is a duet between the reconstructed lyre of ur and some reconstructed silver pipes found in the same grave.

Although the lyre strings didn't survive the intervening years, we can reconstruct a musical scale from the position of the holes in the pipes.

The original lyre and pipes were excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley at Ur, Mesopotamia. They were deposited in museums at Baghdad and Philadelphia.

The replica of the Lyre was made by Andy Lowings and friends.

The Silver pipes were evaluated and made by Bo Lawergren.

I made this video to support the Lyre of Ur project at http://www.lyre-of-ur.com

You can see a much higher-quality version at http://stage6.divx.com/user/Mark_the_Harp/video/1226321/4500-year-old-Pipes-a...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• lyre
• iraq
• baghdad
• antique
• BC
• harp

[Herik77]

Respira ogni tanto sennò ti scoppia quella vena!!

[MarkHarmer]

@Herik77 It's alarming, isn't it! But he does breathe - you can still puff out air with your cheeks while breathing in. Just takes a lot of practice!

[palehorsepalerider]

Its good to hear this once again, its been at least 4000 years since I heard it last.

[dmarker21]

Great music regardless of how authentic it may or may not be. I play a double chantered, no-drone pipe called "le ciaramelle d'amatrice." Check out my videos to hear some of my friends in Italy playing it. It's an unbroken tradition in Italy going back to perhaps the Tibia/Aulos. Might give you some ideas on different ways to play the Ur pipes. Who knows, they could be related!

[AndyHarpist]

@AndyHarpist A completely correct observation. This odd instrument raises questions about what is music ; what is was used for; how it was played and how it was tuned.

All of which are really unknowable yet worth asking and trying to find out about.

[AndyHarpist]

@ruzickaw What music was 5,000 years ago might not have been to our ears today.

[ruzickaw]

not a great music

[Underdogpiano]

@MarkHarmer

Yes, its called circular breathing right? Same technique they use with the didgeridoo and other instruments.

[nofrig]

I didn't expect a lyre to sound like that. Interesting.

[ThefamousZozo]

When i was young we heard this like everywhere, it got kinda annoying.

But hearing it now remember i havent heard this in 4000 years, and it made me smile a little :).

[badran106]

the only flute made from ivory that reach us is in the collection of mr badran ghosn about 700 bc...see it at badran106 link test it by carbon...and then do a copy...you will get the real old tune....and i salute you from lebanon....

[ZR3FR1K]

People playing and/or practicing this kind of music back then, were stoned to death.

[Ayaka83]

in my country we have an instrument similar to this pipe (i guess the evolution of it) it is called "launeddas" and the peculiarity is to play them in a way that it look you are not breathing too byeee