Getty Villa presents Homeric Hymns: Visual Album (Preview)

For a limited time, view these works-in-progress videos by acclaimed performance-makers, Four Larks with filmmaker Christin Turner, inspired by the Homeric Hymns.

The Homeric Hymns are a collection of narrative praise poems addressed to ancient Greek deities. They were sung and exchanged by generations of anonymous traveling poets, and later transcribed, anthologized, and attributed to Homer. In a series of new musical adaptations Four Larks fuses this ancient poetry with harmonies and rhythms inspired by devotional folk music from America and the global diaspora. The chamber-pop score was recorded in isolation during Covid-19 lockdowns, and the accompanying visuals were filmed at the Getty Villa. These hymns celebrate an enduring impulse to endow the world with divinity and poetry even in times of tribulation.

Seven of Four Larks’ music-video hymns will preview on getty.edu. These videos are individual chapters of a film and live performance that will premiere in the near future.