“There is no benefit when music stands secret and hidden.” — Lucian

Hymns, or devotional songs, are an integral part of many, if not all, religions, even today. It is no wonder then that ancient Greece, with its many gods and religious traditions, would ascribe their protection to one of the Muses, as that particular kind of poetry and song was both important and distinct.

It is the hymns to these gods that we will discover, play, and sing as we join our voices with those of the ancients in asking the healing gods for good health and a long, fruitful life.

This is a curated selection of ancient healing hymns/melodies to add to your lyre repertoire.

Song list: Homeric Hymn to Apollo ✦ Homeric Hymn to Asclepius ✦ Orphic Hymn to Hygieia ✦ Paean to Hygieia ✦ Paean to Apollo ✦ Erythraean Paean to Asclepius ✦ Diophantos’ Paean to Asclepius ✦ Hymn to Healer Apollo ✦ Paean to Apollo by Aristonous ✦ First Delphic Hymn ✦ Second Delphic Hymn

“This Sheet Music Book is our latest addition to our effort to enrich the available educational resources for lyre and lyre-like musical instruments,” Nikolaos Koumartzis, the series’ director, explains.

This book is part of the Lyre Sheet Music series, which features some of the greatest lyre players around the world, including Lina Palera, Thanasis Kleopas, Michael Levy, and Theodore Koumartzis.

Pages: 52 | Dimensions: 9 x 12 inches | sheet music for lyres or kitharas with 7 or more strings

_Credits
Nikolaos Koumartzis, D.Phil. (editor-in-chief)
Fotis Giantsios, M.Litt. (research director)
Lina Palera (composer)