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Michael
Ormiston is a Multi-instrumentalist and probably Europe's foremost
Mongolian Khoomii (overtone) singer. Michael traveled to Chandman
Sum, in western Mongolia in 1993 where he studied Khoomii with Tserendaava
in his Ger (round felt tent) and with Tsengedorj, Gereltsogt and
Ganbold in Khovd and Ulaanbaatar. Michael is in the unique
position of being the only European given the blessing to teach
the basics of Khoomii by Gereltsogt in 1994 and since then has been
teaching Mongolian khoomii and overtone singing around the world.
He returned to Mongolia in 1997 and 2000 to further his studies
in traditional Mongolian music. Khoomii is a remarkable style of
singing where one person sings two or more distinct pitches at the
same time. Khoomii originates from central Asia plateau, particularly
the Altai and Sayan Mountains regions of Mongolia and Tuva. The
Nomads of these parts have listened to the natural sounds of their
environment and have discovered the nature of sound in the overtone
or harmonic series, a universal series from which all sound is born. ' Michael has learnt well and is a fine Khoomiich' Tserendaava, Michae's teacher ' Michael has learnt the fundamentals of Khoomii ' Sengedorj, Khoomiich from Khovd Theatre ' He is famous among the Mongolian community' Batjargal, the Mongolian cultural attaché 'Michael is Europe's foremost Mongolian Khoomii singer' Brian Lee, Caduceus Magazine 'These sounds
take me to an older more recent ancient time and place' Michael with Candida Valentino Candida
(the only European woman to have traveled to Mongolia to study overtone
singing) together with Michael have played concerts in Britain,
Switzerland, and Sri Lanka and more recently in Ireland for His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. Their concerts are a musical journey through
the sounds from their travels real and imaginary, inward and outward.
Releases in 2000
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The Winds of Heaven: the first CD dedicated to overtone
Arc: original compositions improvisations and traditional arrangements for bowed Asian instruments, overtone singing and E-Bow guitar, bowed and rubbed fishing line, bowed cymbals, gongs, frame drum and jaw's harp.
As Above: Tibetan Singing Bowl Meditations. The compositions and sounds used in As Above are intented for meditation, relaxation, and yoga, Tai Chi or for the sheer deep listening experience that the Tibetan singing bowls provide.
The
Last of The Medicine Men:
co-written with Keith Waithe and recorded in Twin Arrows Studio, this
is the original music for Benedict Allen's acclaimed BBC 2 TV series
on Shamanism.