Sumerian, the oldest language known, is represented by hundreds of thousands of clay tablets inscribed in the cuneiform writing system. Most of the tablets are devoted to mundane matters- ration lists, annual accounts, deeds, contracts- but a substantial number contain examples of perhaps the earliest poetry extant. In this volume, the eminent Assyriologist Thorkild Jacobsen presents translations of some of these ancient poems, including a number of compositions that have never before been published in translation. "What a wonderful bouquet; a gift to us all from a master Sumeriologist, a singer of human achievement, and a lover of words. Jacobsen needs no introduction and this work is special, and should be found in the home of all human and literate persons. It gives access to the mind of ancient Mesopotamia in a manner rarely duplicated heretofore ... Jacobsen has chosen widely from Sumer's rich literature- myth, epics, hymns, boasts, epithalamia, love songs, lamentations, fables- nad has presented us with perspective renderings". Jack M. Sasson, Religious Studies Review.

Sumerian is the oldest written language of ancient Iraq, first written down some 5,000 years ago. Its literature, encompassing narrative myths, lyrical hymns, proverbs and love poetry, provides a stimulating insight into the world's first urban civilization. This is a comprehensive collection.

Originally published in 1905, this early work is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It is a fascinating read for any music enthusiast or historian, but also contains a wealth of information that is still useful and practical today. Its 231 pages are a detailed and comprehensive history of the harp written by an industrious and scrupulous author. Thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of all harpists. Contents: Antiquity of the Harp; The Harp in the Bible; The Irish Harp; The Welsh Harp; “Brian Boru’s” Harp; Mediaeval Harps and Harpers; English, Scotch, and Irish Harpers; The Harp in the Sixteenth Century; The Irish Harp under King James I; The Welsh Triple Harp; Cromwell and the Irish Harp; The Harp under Charles II; Turlogh O’Carolan; Invention of the Pedal Harp; The Harp as an Orchestral Instrument; Irish Harpers of the Mid-Eighteenth Century; Some Old-Time Virtuosi; Welsh Harpers of the Eighteenth Century; Revival of the Irish Harp; The Double-Action Harp; Virtuosi of the Nineteenth Century; The Harp in the Orchestra; Epilogue. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This book teaches the student step by step how to play the harp. Each of the 12 lessons includes instructions, exercises, and folk and classical pieces using the new skills and techniques taught in the lesson. --from publisher description.

Revising her classic 1989 book Harps and Harpists, Roslyn Rensch expands her authoritative history of this timeless instrument. This lavishly illustrated edition, with 137 black-and-white images and 24 color plates, surveys the progress of the harp from antiquity to the present day. The new edition includes two new chapters; an extensive bibliography and index; personal anecdotes of the author's studies under Alberto Salvi; and an appendix on the Roslyn Rensch Papers and Harp Collection, which are housed at the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign.