At the NHM 2012 in Jyväskylä, Nancy Thym and Thilo Viehrig gave a lecture about “The Warrior Bard: The well preserved lyre of a 6th century Alemannic chieftain from Trossingen, Germany”. The 2001/2002 discovery of a complete and exquisitely decorated Germanic lyre in a 6th century grave on the grounds of the former Hohner accordion company in Trossingen, Germany was a sensation for music archaeology. Up until then only lyre fragments had been recovered from archaeological sites in Germany and England. Thilo Viehrig was asked by the Pergamon museum in Berlin to build an exact copy of the lyre of Trossingen. In this talk, Thilo discussed the context of the find, other grave goods and the construction of the lyre.
Nancy Thym gave two workshops at the NHM 2012 in Jyväskylä:
1. “Harp and Carp” – Singing to the Harp:
(“Carp“ is the old Scots word for “sing“ or “recite“. The Queen of Faerie demands of Thomas the Rhymer that he “harp and carp“ for her.)
Harp playing – yes. Singing – yes. But both together? How can I develop harp accompaniments so that I can still concentrate on singing? The course discussed methods for developing accompaniments from drone and chordal patterns to discant melodies which compliment the vocal line. Participants were encouraged to bring songs they were working on. Open to all levels.
2. ”Telling of Tales ”: (read more about this workshop)
How can I enrich stories with harp, song and other instruments? How can I incorporate stories into my performances? Sources for music and stories about music and musicians will be discussed as well as methods for learning stories and developing musical accompaniments, which leave the mind able to concentrate on telling a story. Participants were welcome to bring a story to be coached or an idea they needed help to develop. Open to all levels.