AN ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 44, 24 April 1942, Page 6

AN ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

THE LURS WAS IN USE 3000

YEARS AGO

Perhaps no other archaeological discovery in the northern part of Europe lias roused such deep interest as the finding of the Lurs about 1800. These wonderful musical instruments of a bygone age naturally set us wondering what kiml of people and what manner of civilisation were able to produce such perfect instruments. For they are perfect in workmanship and in artistic design, and have such a high standard of musical properties that they excite the admirtaion of musicians of today. The Lurs is at least three thousand years old. In Denmark on the island of Zeelancl twenty miles north of Copenhagen. the 1 first Lurs came to light. It was well buried, but beautifully preserved, in the peat, of a swamp. Six of these instruments were found. Three pairs it was soon discovered. They were paired as to tone, cast in fine bronze, about two metres long, artisticalb r chiselled with spiral designs, and having five little tassel-shaped ornamented plates fixed by rings to the thin end of the instruments. Their up-to-date mouthpiece never fails to: draw the attention of players, and their mighty, yet sweetly «*ounded tones have alwaj's stirred the hearts of those privileged to hear them. In spite of the fact thai: for three thousand j*ears they have been buried and long since forgotten at the bottom of what was once a lake, vet when cleaned and put into the: hands of an expert the volume and tone of the music they make ishes everyone, each pair being perfectly in tune. Many centuries ago those sturdy warriors the Vikings played thei;* stirring war signals on these instruments, also triumphant melodies when returning victorious from their daring expeditions. Many more. Lurs have been found at different times and in diverse places—Sweden and Norway included. The Copenhagen Museum possesscs nineteen of these memorials of an artistic and musical race. A remarkable fact worth noticing is that while a!I notes are produced by the lips of the player, the Lurs having no valves, yet twenty-two notes are at the disposal of the plavcr. twelve natural and ten minor in chromatic success!on down.