PODCAST · music
The Imaginary Song Hunt
by Lotos Lab
Gather every Wednesday to rummage through music history’s wondrous, mystical, and neglected corners, unearthing forgotten stories, strange texts, and enchanted fragments of song with Stef Conner.The Imaginary Song Hunt is a monthly adventure into the lost, half-remembered, and beautifully mysterious corners of music history. Much of the music we explore survives only in fragments – cryptic manuscripts, patchy evidence, inherited traditions, and folklore. We often can’t know exactly how the old songs sounded… but it’s great fun to make an educated, imaginative guess.That’s what the Hunt is all about: using real historical clues to spark creative reconstructions, new performances, and playful musical detective work.Each month unfolds across four or five Wednesday sessions:Week 1 – Main Episode (YouTube & Podcast):Interviews with experts, manuscript deep-dives, and my own attempts at wrestling ancient evidence into fresh musical id
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Could you sing like Sappho – with Ian Rutherford (ISH 4, June 2026)
In this episode of Imaginary Song Hunt, we learn about the life and music of Sappho with Reading University’s Professor of Greek, Ian Rutherford. Who was Sappho and where do we find the details of her biography? What is a Sapphic Stanza and how should we sing it? Did people dance to Sappho’s music? We tackle all these questions and more in this exploration of history, poetry and rhythm. By the end we get a teeny little bit closer to answering the question of how to sing Sappho. 🎧 The Imaginary Song Hunt is a series about reimagining lost songs from history, using evidence, creativity, and a willingness to step beyond what’s written down. 👉 For everything Imaginary Song Hunt including side trails, bonus performances and Stef’s Zoom choir, join the Lotos Lab Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Lotos_Lab 👯♀️ For all the news and updates sign up for the Imaginary Song Hunt mailing list: https://song.stefconner.com/sign-up-imaginary-song-hunt 💝 Lotos Lab Tip Jar: https://lotos-lab.com/donate/ Next full episode (1st July 2026): Stef and Barnaby sing the earliest Christian hymn
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Singing Canntaireachd – with Barnaby Brown (ISH 3, May 2026)
In this episode of the Imaginary Song Hunt, we go hunting for Scottish Canntaireachd – the practice of singing Pibroch (the musical tradition of the Great Highland Bagpipe). Piping maestro, Lotos Lab’s own Barnaby Brown guides us through the murky undergrowth of Scottish bagpiping history, and explains how pipers have traditionally learned their craft through singing. After delving into cultural history, notation and traditional practices, we focus on a single pibroch, the stunningly beautiful lament, Cumha Alasdair Dheirg ("Lament for Alasdair Dearg"). If you'd like to try singing this gorgeous piece, you can access the Urlar (its main section, arranged to suit easy aural leaning) for free here: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.32190912 Or you can head over to the Lotos Lab shop or join our Patreon for the full piece. By the end we try to answer the question: how can (or perhaps should) we sing canntaireachd today? For everything Imaginary Song Hunt including side trails, bonus performances and Stef’s zoom choir join the Lotos Lab Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Lotos_Lab 👯♀️ For all the news and updates sign up for the Imaginary Song Hunt mailing list: https://song.stefconner.com/sign-up-imaginary-song-hunt Next full episode (3rd June 2026): we head to Lesbos to explore the (now) fragmentary world of Sapphic song...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Gather every Wednesday to rummage through music history’s wondrous, mystical, and neglected corners, unearthing forgotten stories, strange texts, and enchanted fragments of song with Stef Conner.The Imaginary Song Hunt is a monthly adventure into the lost, half-remembered, and beautifully mysterious corners of music history. Much of the music we explore survives only in fragments – cryptic manuscripts, patchy evidence, inherited traditions, and folklore. We often can’t know exactly how the old songs sounded… but it’s great fun to make an educated, imaginative guess.That’s what the Hunt is all about: using real historical clues to spark creative reconstructions, new performances, and playful musical detective work.Each month unfolds across four or five Wednesday sessions:Week 1 – Main Episode (YouTube & Podcast):Interviews with experts, manuscript deep-dives, and my own attempts at wrestling ancient evidence into fresh musical id
HOSTED BY
Lotos Lab
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Imaginary Song Hunt have?
The Imaginary Song Hunt currently has 2 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Imaginary Song Hunt about?
Gather every Wednesday to rummage through music history’s wondrous, mystical, and neglected corners, unearthing forgotten stories, strange texts, and enchanted fragments of song with Stef Conner.The Imaginary Song Hunt is a monthly adventure into the lost, half-remembered, and beautifully...
How often does The Imaginary Song Hunt release new episodes?
The Imaginary Song Hunt has 2 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Imaginary Song Hunt?
You can listen to The Imaginary Song Hunt on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Imaginary Song Hunt?
The Imaginary Song Hunt is created and hosted by Lotos Lab.
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