For those of you who have patiently awaited this website, and for others who have only now heard about it, I am pleased to offer you a generous portion from my website menu of Italian music history. Why a website? Some have wondered why I couldn’t just write a book, but truthfully, I’m not a writer. Besides, you can’t listen to music from a book, and neither can your eyes feast on the beautiful images that make Italian culture so extraordinary. For the player, there will be plenty of technical advice, as well as lessons based on the lirone’s stunning repertoire. Currently at least three manuals make playing so complicated and impractical that the instrument’s uniquely beautiful essence gets lost. It may have been Leonardo who said “Simplicity is the height of Sophistication.” This should be every lirone player’s maxim. Whether you’re a player or a history lover, feel free to dip into whatever interests you! This project would not have been possible without John Hadden’s exceptional skills as a website designer, with a keen appreciation for the history – and the music which he produced and engineered for most of our CDs over the years. Generously funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of Great Britain Erin Headley

An Innocent Abroad My first trip to Italy as a doctoral student was daunting for someone who had never been to Europe before! Navigating Italian libraries, communicating with librarians, and having to do it all in Italian was beyond challenging. The tourist sites caused a huge distraction as well, but they also inspired me far more than reading about them at home.

The Consonant Lirone: A Demonstration This video offers the basics of consonant harmony on the lirone for the sixteenth-century repertoire.