Khöömii is an amazing style of overtone or harmonic singing where one person sings two or more distinct pitches at the same time. It originates among the nomads of the central Asian plateau, particularly the Altai and Sayan mountain regions of Mongolia and Tuva. The nomads of these parts have discovered how to sing melodies that arise from the universal harmonic overtone series.
Learn an authentic traditional Mongolian technique
Listen to your own overtones as you discover the unknown depths and heights of your own voice.
The workshop is open to anyone who wishes to explore the harmonic nature of their voice.
Michael Ormiston is the UK’s most experienced Mongolian Khöömii (Overtone) Singer. He travelled to west Mongolia in 1993 to study Khöömii with Herdsman and expert singer Tserendavaa and also learnt with leading Khöömii singers during his six times in Mongolia. Both Michael and Candida, who is also an undertone singer, have the rare privilege of being blessed to teach Khöömii by Tserendavaa and Gereltsogt which they have been doing internationally for the past 20 years. They have taught Khöömii on the SOAS World music summer school for the past 10 years as well as individually teaching ethnomusicology students at SOAS & Goldsmith College,
University of London and ADEM Ateliers d’ethnomusicologie, Genève. In 2011 Michael was awarded The International Outreach Award by the Mongolian Embassy UK, The Mongolian Association in the UK and Lingua Global for his special contribution to the promotion of Mongolia’s rich Cultural Heritage.
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