Ancient Music and Metre Workshop

This workshop aims to introduce colleagues and students of all levels to the concepts of ancient metre and music, two aspects that are fundamental to our understanding of Greek and Latin poetry, but which paradoxically are often excluded from detailed study. We will be looking at Greek and Latin metre from Homer down to Virgil and Ovid, and we will also explore ancient musical instruments, their tonality and general function, in order to form a better idea as to how ancient poetry was performed and enjoyed.

The context will be informal, and the primary aim of the workshop will be educational; everyone is welcome to join the discussion, ask questions and enjoy a day dedicated to poetry and music, while getting introduced to an important part of Classical antiquity. 

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Programme

10:00 Welcome and Introduction

10:15 Dr G.A. Gazis (Durham) – Prof. T. Vergados (Newcastle): Bard Wars: Homer’s and Apollonius’s use of the hexameter

11:15 Dr C. Blanco (Durham) – TBC (Latin Metre)

12:15 Lunch Break/Foraging

14:00 Prof. I. Ziogas (Durham): I can’t believe it’s not Ovid! Transforming the Metamorphoses into Modern Greek hexameter

15:00 Dr D. Creese (Newcastle): Hearing Ancient Greek Music

16:00 J. Berssenbrügge (Humboldt) Performing Homer Today