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Kyzyl Weather
Two New Hours
Program Run Sheets
Two New Hours 16 July/95: Playlist
CD: Interworld Music CD 21907 GLEN VELEZ: Tuva CD: VIRGIN REALWORLD V2 7243 8 39469 2 1 THREE STYLES OF TUVAN SINGING CD: Music and Arts CD 736 Mandel Offering of the Universe - Traditional Music of Tibet Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastary CD: Celestial Harmonies CD 013/14 Cut 6 David Hykes: Hallelujah CD: Network Best -NR. 72022 Gelobtes Land #2 (amazing Grace) - Christian Bollman CD: WERGO SM 1038-50 Michael Vetter: OVERTONES / PART 2 CD: CDA 66115 Karlheinz Stockhausen: Stimmung CD: Catalyst: 09026-61981-2 Toby Twining: Himalaya CD: Geffen GEFD Kitaro: Dream of Chant CD: Leo records CD LR 190 Sainko Namchylak: Letter 6
RICHARD: Often Two New Hours will have a feature on a composer. Sometimes we'll feature
an outstanding performer. Tonight's show is quite different. Tonight, I have a feature on
a very unusual vocal technique: overtone throat singing.
And I have a guest cohost, broadcaster Rei Uyeyama. She's made quite a study of this
technique. And she has a whole bunch of fascinating examples, ranging from folk traditions
to jazz, pop and concert music.
RICHARD: You may know Rei Uyeyama from her work on other CBC series. She recently
completed a documentary called "One Tone. Two Tones. Overtones" for CBC Ideas
and the Arts Tonight.
But this is her first appearance on Two New Hours. Welcome, Rei.
REI: Hi Richard.
RICHARD: Rei:, before we find out what overtone throat singing is, I want to find out
about you.... how did you get so interested in overtone throat singing?
REI: When I was in University, I came across a recording of a twenty-three year old
Mongolian named Bori singing overtones. I couldn't believe what I heard because it sounded
like two musical lines were being sung at exactly the same time. There was a low, droning
ostinato note at the bottom and above it -
RICHARD: What did you find so fascinating about it?
REI: A sense of wonder. When you hear or sing overtones, there's a feeling that you're
somehow discovering the mysteries of the universe -
The sound of overtones themselves have that quality. They're ethereal. It's magic. The invisible suddenly becomes -
RICHARD: You've whetted my curiosity. What did you bring today?
REI: I'm going to start with a recording by Glen Velez -
In the piece we're about to hear, Glen Velez uses a scruti box -
It's called "Tuva" -
RICHARD: That was Glen Velez doing the overtone singing and accompanying himself on the
sruti box. That's from a disc on the Interworld label.
Rei Uyeyama is my guest tonight and our guide through the world of overtone singing. Rei:,
that was phenomenal. Do you need to have a special kind of physiology... a twin larynx or
something, or can anyone do that.
REI: Anyone can sing overtones. It's something that doesn't require a lot of training like
operatic singing. I attended a workshop Glen Velez gave at a Music Therapy Conference
recently. After practicing for about an hour, a roomful of about fourty music therapists
were singing overtones.
It's something do as children -
RICHARD: Now that piece was in homage to Tuva.... who are the Tuvans? and why are they
so special?
REI: I never thought you'd ask, Richard. Tuva is a small, independent country in Southern
Siberia -
RICHARD: What's the connection with Tuva and overtone throat-singing?
REI: Tuva is the "Overtone Throat-singing capital of the world". They have over
a dozen known overtone throat-singing styles and the people are very musical. Somehow,
overtone throat-singing is still very well-preserved in Tuva probably because they've been
more isolated from outside influences because of their geography and political history.
But, don't let me mislead you. In Central Asia, overtone throat-singing is part of the
music traditions of Tibet, Mongolia, and Siberia. Some of the other cultures who also sing
overtones include the Oirats, Khakass, Bashkirs, Kirghis, Kazakhians, Yakuts and
Azerbaijainis. Traditionally, there were secular vocal music festivals called
"toj". They were attended by thousands of Central Asian pastoral nomads from the
surrounding steppe. There were singing contests of overtone throat-singing -
RICHARD: I've never met a Tuvan. Have you? What do they look like?
REI: There's a saying that if you meet a Tuvan, it brings you luck. I've met eight. What
do they look like? They look Asian -
RICHARD: What's the place of overtone singing in Tuvan society.... If I happen to take
a stroll down main street in Kyzyl, will I hear Tuvans doing this all over the place?
REI: Well, first of all, it's an oral tradition. It's not written down.
It's also something that only men and boys do. You learn it from your father or your
uncles. It's a living tradition that's passed on from generation to generation.
One of my favourite Tuvans is a nine year-old boy called Bady Dorzhu Ondar. He came to the
Glenn Gould Studio here at the CBC with his teacher -
You can hear him sing two distinct overtone throat-singing styles here. The high, whistling style called "sigit" which imitates the sound of birds and a bit of the "frog" voice -
RICHARD: It's hard to believe that's a nine year old kid.... I was having difficulty
with Beach Boy songs when I was nine. Can ALL Tuvan kids do this?
REI: Bady Dorzhu Ondar's been studying overtone throat-singing for two years. He's just
one of many musically gifted children attending a school -
RICHARD Rei:, some time ago you prepared a documentary that demonstrates how overtone
singing is done..... We're going to play two clips from your documentary that demonstrates
overtones.
What are we going to hear on this tape?
REI: On this clip we're going to hear two contrasting demonstrations of this technique.
First, we'll hear from Ted Levin whose an ethnomusicologist at Dartmouth College and the
first musician from the West allowed into Tuva to record their music. His demonstration
takes a more scientific approach After his demonstration of overtones, composer and
frame-drummer -
RICHARD: That was Ted Levin and Glen Velez demonstrating 2 different styles of overtone
singing. That was a segment of a documentary that Rei Uyeyama prepared for CBC's IDEAS,
back in January of this Year and Rei Uyeyama is my guest on TWO NEW HOURS tonight. Rei,
later on in the program, we're going to hear part of a live Tuvan concert from Toronto's
Music Gallery...and we just happen to have a new recording by this same group of Tuvans.
I'd like to play the track the demonstrates the various styles of overtone singing... Rei
maybe you can tell us what we're going to hear?
REI: I mentioned earlier that there are over a dozen overtone throat-singing styles in
Tuva. They're based on five basic styles -
The Tuvan medley we're about to hear begins with a popular kargiraa tune called "Artii-Sayir" -
RICHARD: We've just heard a medley of two Tuvan overtone throat singing styles performed by vocalists Oleg Kuular and Mergen Mongush and Leonid Oorzhak was also singing and playing the Tuvan lute,
I'm Richard Paul and you're listening to Two New Hours. My guest tonight is Rei Uyeyama and tonight we're taking a look at is very specific kind of extended vocal technique called overtone throat singing. Rei, I must admit that the Tuvans were new to me until tonight... but I HAVE heard the Tibetan Monks sing overtones. They sound like the some of the low growling sounds that we've heard by the Tuvans. Is there a connection here?
REI: (still researching)
REI:
RICHARD: We've just heard Offering of the Universe
REI: Yes, when I interviewed the chantmaster and spoke to the monks, I was told that under normal circumstances, these overtones have only been allowed to be sung in certain Tantric monasteries. The chants not only sacred, but secret.
RICHARD: but THE SECRET IS OUT, ISN'T IT? The Tibetan monks HAVE BEEN TOURING the world
for years.
REI: I was told by this group which was sent by the Dalai Lama, that it's part of a sacred
mission. The sounds of the overtones themselves are powerful and have a healing quality.
The Dalai Lama -
RICHARD: Okay Rei, let's listen to David Hykes with Hallelujah. This music was actually
recorded in a monastery in France where David Hykes lives.
RICHARD: That was Hallelujah. David Hykes, Michelle Hykes and Timothy Hill were the
vocalists and drummers. You're listening to Two New Hours and I am Richard Paul. With me
in the studio is Rei Uyeyama. Rei has made a study of the extended vocal technique called
overtone singing and tonight we're taking a look at some of the various styles of this art
form. Rei, it seems that Europeans are fascinated with this ... why is that?
REI:
RICHARD: That has to be one of the most unusual performance of Amazing Grace that I've
heard.... That was sung in overtones by Christian Bollman. That recording is available on
the Network Best label and is called= Drehmomente.
Rei, we've just heard a performance by a German singer. And next, I'd like to offer some
music by another German exponent of overtone singing. Michael Vetter has been interested
in this technique for about 25 years. Vetter is a pretty unusual character. He's formally
trained in Theology. And he's a self-taught musician and painter. He's also a Zen Buddhist
monk. In fact, he spent 12 years in a monastery in Japan. He's also an expert in Japanese
caligraphy.
Vetter's interest in overtone singing stems from his practice of meditation. Earlier, you
mentioned that the Tibetan Buddhist monks believe that overtone singing promotes healing
and peace. Vetter believes the same thing. And he teaches his techniques at an institute
in the Black Forest in= Germany.
Here's a sample of his music. He accompanies himself on an Indian drone instrument called
the Tambura.
RICHARD: That was an excerpt of Michael Fetter performing some of the 45-minute piece
he calls Overtones.
REI:
RICHARD: I mentioned that Michael Vetter is a self-taught musician. During the 60s, he
attained a certain amount of fame as a recorder virtuoso. And he attracted the attention
of Karlheinz Stockhausen, who invited him to join his group of musicians.
Like Fetter, Stockhausen is very involved in mysticism. As far back as the early 1950s, he
insisted that musicians have a sense of ritual when performing his music. In the early
60s, he began to develop his own brand of mysticism. He has taken bits and piece from
cultures and religions all over the world. The piece we'll hear shows that.
In 1968, he wrote Stimmung.It uses the technique of overtone singing. Now, whether he
became interested in this technique from his association with Michael Vetter we don't
know. It may even have been the other way around. Stockhausen was inspired to write this
piece during a trip to Mexico. He spent a month walking through the Aztec and Mayan ruins.
He says that he relived ancient rituals, some of which were very cruel.
That cruelty isn't in this piece. But the names of the ancient Aztec gods and goddesses
are. A lot of the texts are descriptions of these gods, their properties and duties. Some
of it's pretty racy stuff.
Now, we're not going to hear all of Stimmung. Some performances of it run about an hour
and a half. But I want you to hear an excerpt.
Here's the English vocal group called Sing circle with some of their version of Sitmmung
by Karlheinz Stockhausen.
RICHARD: That was a section of Stimmung by Karlheinz Stockhausen. It was performed by
the English group Singcircle. The members of the group are sopranos Suzanne Flowers and
Penelope Walmsley-Clark, mezzo Nancy Long, tenor Rogers Covey-Crump, baritone Gregory Rose
and bass Paul Hillier.
REI:
RICHARD We've just heard an English group doing overtone singing. And now, I'd like play a recording by another vocal group from England. They have a great name -
REI: When I heard the recording... Silver Swan
RICHARD: Here's Electric Phoenix with The Silver Swan by William Brooks.
RICHARD: That was the Silver Swan a Madrigal by William Brooks.... it was sung by
Electric Phoenix ______________ Rei .. that was an example of how contemporary composers
are incorporating this style of overtone singing into their compositions. I also
understand that pop groups are experimenting a little bit with these musical ideas. You
have a recording by a group called Toby Twining. And you have it with you.
REI:
RICHARD: From a disc on the Catalyst label, that was Toby Twining with Himalaya.
REI:
RICHARD: Rei, I see that you came in with a disc by that monarch of mellow
REI:
RICHARD: That was Kitaro with Dream of Chant... that's from a disc on the Geffen label.
Rei Uyeyama is my Guest on Two New Hours tonight and we're taking a look at overtone
singing. While listening to Kitaro, I realised that we've heard this music sung mostly by
men... is this a guy thing or what... can women do this as well?
REI:
Letter 6 :
RICHARD: Extro Sainko Namchylak and intros Tuvan concert form the Music Gallery. The
same group of Tuvans that we heard at the beginning of the show actually were touring
recently.Two New Hours recorded this group Live in concert from Toronto's Music Gallery.
Rei, what can you tell us about the music we're going to hear in this concert?
Rei, what's the next song we'll hear?
REI:
RICHARD: From the Music Gallery in Toronto, we're listening to a concert of traditional music from Tuva. The group is the Ensemble Eye Karelle. That performance was by master overtone throat singer GEN-nadi Tumat REI:
RICHARD: From the Music Gallery in Toronto, we're listening to a concert of traditional
music from Tuva. The group is the Ensemble Ay-Kherel. The members are Gennadi Tumat,
Vladimir Soyan, Orlan Ch=FCdekpen and Leonid= Oorzhak. I'm Richard Paul. This is Two New
Hours. My guest tonight is Rei Uyeyama.
REI:
RICHARD: From the Music Gallery in Toronto, we've heard a concert of traditional music
from Tuva sung by the Ensemble Ay-Kherel. The members are Gennadi Tumat, Vladimir Soyan,
Orlan Ch=FCdekpen and Leonid Oorzhak. The concert was produced by Ann McKeigen. David
Quinney was the recording engineer.
REI:
RICHARD: And that's about it for Two New Hours for this week. I would be remiss in my
duties, if I didn't thank the terrific people who helped me put tonight's show together.
The executive producer of Two New Hours is David Jaeger, and our studio engineer is David
Quinney. Our studio director is Denise Grison. The music consultant is Larry Lake. Thanks
also to Alan Gasser for his contribution to tonight's program. And also to my guest
tonight Rei Uyeyama.
And while I am on the topic of thankyous
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