MJWB MEDIA BLOG

Strange Loops 2011

2012-01-24T17:32:00.001Z

Strange Loops 2011 by MJWB

GIG 365

2012-01-05T21:26:00.001Z

Thank you to all of my family and friends that shared the gift of music with me in 2011 and assisted me on the GIG 365 journey. All the very best for 2012.
Audio/Video from GIG #356 @ Corner of Frenchmen and Chartres Streets, New Orleans, LA w/Young Fellaz Brass Band.
A/V by Oscar Cainer.

Soy Pan, Soy Paz, Soy Más

2011-12-07T15:54:00.001Z

Soy Pan, Soy Paz, Soy Más by Piero performed on an Edinburgh, Scotland rooftop in August 2011 during the Fringe Festival. Featuring vocalist Yulene Velásquez.
Credits:
Julien Pearly: Camera
Cecilia Bry: Sound
Ray Bird: Edit

GIG 365 : The Halfway Mark for Michael Ward-Bergeman

2011-07-02T19:37:00.003+01:00

The GIG 365 journey has reached its halfway mark on July 1, 2011 in Seattle, WA.

Read John Wilcock's "Tale of the Wandering Minstrel"

Patagonia

2011-05-15T15:16:00.001+01:00

Rehearsal of Ward-Bergeman's Patagonia performed at Auditorio Nacional de Msica, Madrid, Spain on February 28, 2011. Arrangement by Osvaldo Golijov. Video by Oscar Cainer.
Laura Salcedo Rubio-violin I
Joan Espina Dea-violin II
Lorena Otero Rodrigo-viola
Miguel Jimnez Pelez-cello
MJWB - accordion

Prelude II , Book I, WTC - "Play Baby..."

2011-04-04T14:03:00.001+01:00

Prelude II, Book I, WTC by Bach performed at 1225 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA on March 29, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #93.

Los Suenos

2011-03-28T19:36:00.001+01:00

Los Suenos by Piazzolla as arranged/performed by MJWB at House of Joe, Melbourne, FL on January 20, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #20. Video by Oscar Cainer.

Jovano, Jovanke

2011-03-22T02:41:00.001Z

Traditional Macedonian Folk Song Jovano, Jovanke performed at University Auditorium, University of Florida, Gainesville, March 20, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #79.
Vocal arrangement by Yulene Velasquez.
Vocalists (r to l):
Hali Hutchison
Analisse Reyes
Austin Smithson
Shara Lunon
Shanelle Woods
Yulene Velasquez

Federal

2011-03-07T12:50:00.001Z

MJWB original Federal performed at Sweat Records, Miami, FL on January 14, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #14. Video by Oscar Cainer.

Throat and Drum Improvisation

2011-02-21T15:19:00.001Z

Throat and Drum Improvisation at Churchill's Pub, Miami, FL on January 16, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #16. Video by Oscar Cainer.

Y Yu Que Has Hecho

2011-02-15T14:41:00.002Z

Y Tu Que Has Hecho by Delfin as performed by Yulene Velasquez and MJWB at Hospital Domingo Luciani, Caracas, Venezuela on January 6, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #6. Video by Oscar Cainer.

Fools I Love

2011-02-06T23:21:00.002Z

MJWB original Fools I Love performed at Little Bar Restaurant, Goodland, FL on January 10, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #10. Video by Oscar Cainer

Trenzinho do Caipira

2011-01-31T13:33:00.001Z

Trenzinho do Caipira by Villa Lobos as performed by Yulene Velasquez and MJWB at Hogar Abuelos Virgen de Coromoto, Caracas, Venezuela on January 5, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #5. Video by Oscar Cainer

Little Wing

2011-01-24T15:54:00.003Z

Little Wing by Hendrix as performed by Biella Da Costa and band at Taima Pizzeria Cafe Concert, Caracas, Venezuela on January 7, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #7. Video by Oscar Cainer.
Band: Alvaro Falcón - guitar
Carlos "Nene" Quintero - percussion
Victor Mestas - keyboards
Miguel Antonio de Vincenzo - drums
Edwin Arellano - bass

Esta Bella Noche

2011-01-19T18:02:00.002Z

Esta Bella Noche by Galian as performed by Yulene Velasquez and Michael Ward-Bergeman at Betania, Venezuela on January 2, 2011. GIG 365 GIG #2. Video by Oscar Cainer

I am a Strange Loop no. 1

2010-11-22T13:39:00.000Z

I am a Strange Loop no. 1 on the GIG 365 stage.

Cyro Baptista's Vira Loucos - Cantiga

2010-11-21T21:27:00.003Z

Cyro Baptista's Vira Loucos - Cantiga from Justin Bias on Vimeo.

Featuring:
Cyro Baptista (Percussion & Vocals)
Romero Lubambo (Acoustic Guitar)
Kevin Breit (Electric Guitar & Banjo)
Michael Ward-Bergeman (Hyper-Accordion)
Vanessa Falabella (Vocals)
Tim Keiper (Drums & Percussion)
Shanir Blumenkranz (Upright Bass)
Brian Marsella (Piano)

Azul in Sao Paulo

2010-10-22T22:47:00.002+01:00

Video snapshots during taken during performances of Golijov's Azul in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Featuring Alisa Weilerstein, Jamey Haddad, Luis Guello and MJWB performing Villa Lobos' Trenzinho for their final encore at the Sala Sao Paulo.

2010 Aspen Music Festival

2010-09-29T04:11:00.002+01:00

Joey's Confession at the 2010 Aspen Music Festival featuring:
Alisa Weilerstein - cello
Jamey Haddad - percussion
Keita Ogawa - percussion
Michael Ward-Bergeman - hyper-accordion

Click the arrows on the player/your computer to skip to the next tune.

Groanbox Live at Livingston Studios

2010-09-20T23:20:00.001+01:00

The complete set of Groanbox Live at Livingston Studios. Video by Oscar Cainer, sound mixed by James Birtwistle. Click here to order the Groanbox Live at Livingston Studios DVD featuring full quality videos and behind the scenes.

To forward to the next song, simply click the right arrow on the player.

Lena

2010-09-09T14:05:00.003+01:00

MJWB performs original tune Lena on the GIG365 stage.

Memory Stick

2010-07-28T17:05:00.007+01:00

In 2009, I found a big stick clinging to the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis. It was floating in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, right in front of the spot where the the Louisiana Territory was transferred from France to the United States.

I took it back to my hotel. Later that evening I needed a memory stick to transfer some files from a friend's computer, so I ran back to my room to get it. I saw the water logged stick propped up in the corner. I grabbed it along with the data device. When I returned to my friend's room I held the giant stick over my head and announced "I have the memory stick!!" The name stuck.

The roots of my idea for this instrument lie in Dorset, England. It was here where I first witnessed a troupe of Morris Dancers using a broom handle with a baby boot on the bottom and some bottle tops nailed into it as a rhythm instrument to accompany their dancing. This experience lead to the creation of the Groanbox freedom boot, which has been stomped all over the UK for almost five years and has inspired many others to build their own versions of the instrument.

Legend has it that the origins of the modern English version of this instrument known as the "Zob Stick" has its roots in the Aborigines of Australia. The Aborigines use a rhythm stick covered in seashells, similar to native Americans who have been known to use rhythm sticks covered in deer hooves and other organic material.

My father and I went to Sanibel Island, the "seashell capital of the world," in early 2010 to collect a big bucketful of seashells.

Memory Stick: one "stick" from the Mississippi River - sanded and varnished, one white cow's tail from Argentina, acorn type shell casings from a tree in Brazil (large and small on separate strings), some sea glass embedded into the top of the stick, a bunch of seashells from Sanibel Island and some fishing line, goat hoof rattles from Bolivia

Feed the Machine

2010-04-06T15:27:00.006+01:00

MJWB and old friend guitar maestro David Brown groove out on an original chamamé inspired tune on board the Lily Pad. Shots of the Annisquam River headed towards historic Gloucester Harbor and the drawbridge from Cape Ann Marina, where Lily is moored.

Blocking the Varnish

2010-04-04T03:42:00.007+01:00

This tune is inspired by trains, but I composed it in a variety of airports around the world over the past year. From wiki: Many prestigious passenger train services have been given a specific name, some of which have become famous in literature and fiction. In past years, railroaders often referred to passenger trains as the "varnish," alluding to the bygone days of wooden-bodied coaches with their lustrous exterior finishes and fancy livery. "Blocking the varnish" meant a slow-moving freight train was obstructing a fast passenger train, causing delays. Filmed by Yulene Velásquez.

A nice shot taken during the process.

Solar Eye

2010-03-24T20:16:00.026Z

I was on tour playing keyboards with a struggling indie rock band in the fall of 2001. I had a day off before my flight back to London, so I headed out to my mother's place on Long Island. The next day I woke up to September 11. My flight back was canceled.
I decided to go to Hither Hills State Park in Montauk to watch the sun and listen to the ocean for a few days. I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of families out there camping and enjoying themselves, despite the horrible events that had unfolded.
When I finally made it back to London I quit the band, set up all of my gear in my tiny flat, and dove into a stream of consciousness journal I had been keeping for the past year. I was looking for gems buried in the thousands of meandering thoughts I had committed to paper.
I worked on the recording for about three months. I would wake up with a fire in my belly (no, it wasn't an ulcer) and just dive into the process.
I've always felt Solar Eye contains some of my best work. I still feel that way. I guess I am not one of those artists that seem to believe the latest thing they have done is always their best. I am lucky to have a few dear friends who "get" Solar Eye and have always encouraged me to do something with it. However, I think most of the people I have shared it with are baffled by it. So it has remained in a lonely, buried folder on my hard drive for nine years or so.

Solar Eye is meant to be listened to as one piece. If you are up for the challenge, I've put a zip file of the entire album for downloading at the bottom of this post. Line up all of the tracks with no gaps in between and have a blast. You can also listen on the yahoo media player which pops up when you hit any of the play buttons. It works pretty well, but sometimes it is a bit jumpy between tracks.

Nish Nash Paddy Wash
Voices
Wish I Didn't Go
Dream Beneath the Tree
Into the Sky
All Right Now
Smoke the Moon
Moon Walk
Run to the Sun
Solar Eye
Sun Spots
Awake Beneath the Tree

Download the entire album
Download the lyrics
photo by Russell Duncan

When In Rome

2010-01-23T20:16:00.004Z

Do as the Romans Do.

From Wikipedia:

St. Ambrose displayed a kind of liturgical flexibility that kept in mind that liturgy was a tool to serve people in worshiping God, and ought not to become a rigid entity that is invariable from place to place. His advice to Augustine of Hippo on this point was to follow local liturgical custom. "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the church where you are." Thus Ambrose refused to be drawn into a false conflict over which particular local church had the "right" liturgical form where there was no substantial problem. His advice has remained in the English language as the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

For more information on MJWB's personal encounter with St. Ambrose, click here

Amazonas 2 and 3

2010-01-18T03:02:00.002Z

Amazonas

2010-01-12T00:57:00.009Z

I spent the first days of 2010 in the Venezuelan state of Amazonas. About half my time was spent in the state's capital, Puerto Ayacucho. The other half was spent on the rivers that head into the rain forest and lead to Cerro Autana and the lands of the Piaroa and Yanomami.

I brought my video camera and a few instruments with me. I wanted to continue exploring working with a click track while filming performances in different locations, as I did with Candy from Strangers. I took about 45 minutes of performance video at several locations and hope to edit a few more pieces together. This was my first time working with Final Cut Express.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Venezuela, December 2009

2009-12-30T04:35:00.033Z

I arrived in Venezuela at around 3am on November 30, and the next day was at work rehearsing as an accompanist for the Coral Infantil Empresas Polar (Children's Choir of Polar Companies.) During December, there were a bunch of performances at Polar, which is the main distributor for beer and soft drinks in Venezuela. Polar supports the arts wholeheartedly, particularly choral groups from around Venezuela. This was the 18th year of the Festival Coral.

The performances went well, and I was able to hear a lot of music performed by different choral groups who came from all over Venezuela. They performed mostly Venezuelan Christmas music, which is called aguinaldos. The music is infused with rhythm, melody and joy.

In between all of the choral concerts I wound up playing with a wedding band. I had no idea what I would be playing and totally flew by the seat of my pants. I haven't done a gig like this in a while. I enjoyed it very much, and was able to experience a lot of Venezuelan wedding traditions, such as the "crazy hour." This happens late into the festivities when stilt walkers, dancers, clowns, etc come out onto the dance floor and all pandemonium breaks loose.

We were up very early the next morning as there was a choral performance at a shrine out in the country. We drove about two hours in a bus with all of the children. We arrived at a small village called Betania, which I had never heard of. We were there a bit early so I was able to look around. There were a lot of messages of thanks along all of the rock walls surrounding the outdoor chapel. Some people also left photos, id cards, flowers, candles, hair (!) etc. I soon started to realize that this was no ordinary shrine, as more and more people were showing up with huge bouquets and cradling statues of the saints of all sizes. The mass was soon underway, and the kids performed a few songs. Then we were back on the bus to Caracas. (We broke down on the way back, but it was still fun!) Here are some pics from the shrine:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

When I had some down time I looked into Betania and learned that it was one of only four sites in the world where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been officially approved by the Catholic Church in the 20th Century. People from all over the world travel to Betania hoping to catch a glimpse of the Virgin. All of this started with a woman by the name of Maria Esperanza.

My research led me to this outstanding video, which is narrated by none other than Fantasy Island's Ricardo Montalbán!!!

A few days after Christmas I ran into a decoration of Santa Claus playing an accordion at a travel agency. After I left, I stumbled upon the graffiti in the photos below right around the corner. A lot of the graffiti in Caracas is beautifully rendered. This one is my absolute favourite. I mean how often do you encounter a Santa Claus playing accordion followed by an incredible work of graffiti featuring a dazed monkey and another old man playing accordion??? Venezuela! I love you!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Treny Rehearsal at Jordan Hall : XI Zal Ojcowski

2009-12-08T15:39:00.005Z

MJWB's Treny, movement XI Zal Ojcowski from May 2009 rehearsal at NEC's Jordan Hall, Boston, MA

Dawn Upshaw - soprano
Gilbert Kalish - piano
Guy Fishman - cello
Laura Heinrichs - flutes
MJWB - hyper-accordion

Text : Tren VI of Jan Kochanowski's Treny
A translation of Tren 6 by Adam Czerniawski

Audio Recording by Joel Gordon
Treny was commissioned by the Terezin Chamber Music Foundation

Pics from Severance Hall

2009-12-03T02:20:00.003Z

Pics from Alisa Weilerstein, Jamey Haddad and friends November 20th performance at the CSO's Severance Hall posted on flickr.

Trenzinho do Caipira

2009-11-27T04:54:00.001Z

A performance of Trenzinho do Caipira by Heitor Villa Lobos.

Alisa Weilerstein - cello
Jamey Haddad - percussion
Keita Ogawa - percussion
Dylan Moffit - percussion (out of frame)
MJWB - accordion

From a live performance on Cleveland's WCPN Around Noon Program. For video of entire program click -here-

Treny Rehearsal at Jordan Hall : IX Swymi Piosnkami

2009-09-30T18:15:00.006+01:00

MJWB's Treny, movement IX Swymi Piosnkami from May 2009 rehearsal at NEC's Jordan Hall, Boston, MA

Dawn Upshaw - soprano
Gilbert Kalish - piano
Guy Fishman - cello
Laura Heinrichs - flutes
MJWB - hyper-accordion

Text : Tren VI of Jan Kochanowski's Treny
A translation of Tren 6 by Adam Czerniawski

Audio Recording by Joel Gordon
Treny was commissioned by the Terezin Chamber Music Foundation

Pigeons in Paris

2009-09-09T02:04:00.001+01:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Candy from Strangers

2009-07-18T05:36:00.004+01:00

Candy from Strangers performed by MJWB on street pianos throughout London, UK. July, 2009.

Sound by Oscar Cainer
Shot and edited by Adam Woods

Candy from Strangers written by Ward-Bergeman/Omar/Barrett
Copyright Voxumbilical Music 2009
All rights reserved

Grafiti en Caracas

2009-06-14T20:49:00.000+01:00

WNYC's Jerome L. Greene Inaugural Concert

2009-06-13T04:03:00.007+01:00

John Schaefer and Osvaldo Golijov discuss the Golijov/Ward-Bergeman/Flower composition Radio before its premiere at the Inaugural Concert for WNYC's Jerome L. Greene performance space on April 28, 2009.

The premiere performance of Radio follows the brief discussion. Featuring Ward-Bergeman on hyper-acc, Flower on laptop, and ETHEL string quartet.

Click -here- for pics from the following days performance on WNYC's Soundcheck

Tetro: Osvaldo Golijov - Music Born from the Film

2009-06-08T01:29:00.003+01:00

First Three Minutes of Coppola's Tetro

2009-05-13T14:42:00.002+01:00

Photos from Groanbox Spring 2009 UK Tour

2009-05-08T17:39:00.011+01:00

Francis Ford Coppola | Tetro | Official

2009-05-06T01:31:00.003+01:00

Kicking Up Dust

2009-04-20T05:11:00.009+01:00

Kicking Up Dust from Metropolis Ensemble on Vimeo.
Performance of MJWB's Kicking Up Dust, performed on January 28, 2009 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. Featuring Paul Clifford on freedom boot and the Metropolis Ensemble led by conductor Andrew Cyr. Video by Gareth Paul Cox and Kyrié Cox; sound by Ryan Streber.

Pics from Tetro recording in Buenos Aires

2009-04-20T04:38:00.007+01:00

Osvaldo Golijov, MJWB, Walter Murch

Photos copyright Mihai Malaimare

Elsie, the Elevator Lady

2009-04-19T23:13:00.007+01:00

I recently had the privilege of performing with the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the finest orchestras in the world. The performances were at Severance Hall, the orchestra's home in Cleveland.

When I first arrived at the concert hall I was shown to my dressing room. I was sure someone had made a mistake, as they put me in George Szell's private music library, which houses all of his personal scores and books, as well as his piano, his last baton, and dozens of incredible photographs.

The entire Severance Hall building is a marvel. I was particularly fascinated with the elevator.

Photos: Rehearsing with Alisa Weilerstein in Reinberger Chamber Hall.

photos copyright Osvaldo Golijov

Fraudulent Gurus - Saku Rado

2009-03-11T11:55:00.010Z

The ritual of Saku Rado is a blessing to all the peoples of Earth. The Fraudulent Gurus perform Saku Rado once every ten years in serene celebration of joyous being through infinite sustain.

La Pasión Según San Marcos Rehearsal

2009-02-19T18:24:00.005Z

Excerpts from the La Pasión Según San Marcos rehearsal at the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on January 3, 2009.

This Way to the Art

2009-02-17T03:55:00.006Z

A magical trip to the site of Flower laboratories where Jay Flower, Osvaldo Golijov, and MJWB work on cues for the new Francis Ford Coppola movie, Tetro.

Music composed and performed by Jay and MJWB.

Flower on Theremin

Ward-Bergeman on Golijov's uncle's old, beat up accordion from Argentina. (Taken out of storage for this exclusive peformance)

Photos from Tenerife and La Gomera

2009-02-11T01:52:00.009Z

I am posting this blog from Tenerife on my last night here in the Canary Islands. I came to participate in two performances of Osvaldo Golijov's La Pasión Según San Marcos. I spent a couple days after the performances traveling around the islands with some friends from the company. I also started taking still pictures with my Canon HV20 digital camcorder for the first time. I was quite pleased with the results.

The islands are stunning.

A couple other choice pictures:

Me and my trusty Canon HV20. Photo: Dan Brantigan

Trying to get that wooden ass to move while Jessica Rivera prays for a miracle. Photo: Lennie Peterson

Feira de Mangaio

2009-02-05T17:44:00.004Z

Rehearsing an arrangment of Sivuca's Feira de Mangaio with cellist Alisa Weilerstein and percussionists Jamey Haddad and Keita Ogawa backstage at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, CO.

Ozzy

2009-01-17T22:58:00.005Z

I have fallen in love with Chamamé, an accordion based folk music from the Argentine Northeast. I am particularly fond of the style as played by Raul Barboza, the "ambassador of Chamamé"

I have recently been working on the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's latest movie, Tetro. The film is set in Buenos Aires, and the chamamé style is explored in the score written by Osvaldo Golijov.

I traveled down to Buenos Aires for a couple days of manic recording with Osvaldo, Walter Murch and some incredible musicians: Octavio Brunetti, Bernardo Monk, Guillermo Vadalá, and Claudio Ragazzi.

The video is from a rehearsal and a late night walk around San Telmo.

The music is a chamamé inspired tune I composed entitled Ozzy.

A Few Extraordinary Weeks

2008-11-17T06:52:00.028Z

I left the UK for New York City shortly after the Groanbox Boys Fall 2008 UK tour. My work Treny had its world premiere by Dawn Upshaw, Stephen Prutsman, and the Ensemble ACJW at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on November 2. The entire process from rehearsal to performance was humbling and awe inspiring. The intensity of everyone's listening was something to behold. Dawn Upshaw is a miracle.
On November 3, composer David Bruce (whose Piosenki was also on the Zankel Hall program) and I had an interview with Andrew Cyr of the Metropolis Ensemble to discuss our Groanbox concert on January 28. Watch the Metropolis site for video updates.
I left NYC for Hong Kong early in the morning on November 4 for a performance of Osvaldo Golijov's Azul with Yo-Yo Ma, Jamey Haddad, Keita Ogawa and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on November 9. I would also be performing Astor Piazzolla's Aconcagua concerto for bandoneon and orchestra, which I rearranged for piano accordion/stradella bass. This would be my first time performing this masterwork, and the first time as a soloist with an orchestra.
I met with conductor Lan Shui on November 8, thirty minutes before the only scheduled rehearsal for the Piazzolla. As we talked about the piece, I noticed he was not feeling well. He excused himself. Before I knew it, the entire rehearsal was cancelled. I would have to make do with the dress rehearsal only, which was in the morning on the day of the concert. Fortunately, Lan Shui was feeling better and the dress rehearsal went well. I enjoyed the hall and the experience of being the soloist in a concerto with such a fine orchestra providing accompaniment.
When show time came, I was busy practicing and got word that Yo-Yo was looking for me. He took me into his dressing room and asked if I would like to do an encore with him. Music from The Mission soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. We went over it a few times while people were knocking on his door telling me it was time to go on for the Piazzolla.
I felt the Piazzolla and Golijov went very well. The orchestra was sounding great and everyone was in top form. The audience responded enthusiastically to each piece.
Then came the surprise encore. I mentioned to Yo-Yo that I wanted to be plugged in so that I would have the extended bass frequencies of the hyper-accordion. It was effective. I am excited by this new exploration of using the hyper-accordion at very low volumes while the rest of the ensemble is acoustic. This was also how we performed Treny. The amplification is used to extend frequency, not volume.
The house went wild after the encore, and Yo-Yo came and went a few times before sitting down one more time, preparing to do another encore. I suggested Piazzolla's Libertango, as I had shown Yo-Yo an arrangement I was working on earlier in the day. He said he had something else in mind. But he asked the audience first. Someone yelled out "Libertango!!" But it wasn't to be this time.
Yo-Yo played the Sarabande from Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 6. I had the best seat in the house, less than an arm's length away. It was one of the most profound experiences of my lifetime.
The next day Jamey, Keita and I left Hong Kong for two concerts in Lucerne with cellist Alisa Weilerstein. We had a few rehearsals with conductor Paul Goodwin and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra before the two scheduled concerts.
After the Hong Kong show Jamey, Keita and I were jamming on a forró tune I know called Feira de Mangaio by Sivuca. We thought it might make a good encore, so we showed it to Alisa. She rocked it!!!
Paul conducted the LSO in Stravinsky's Firebird Suite for the second half. It was another life changing listening experience.
The concert and an interview with me and Alisa will be broadcast later in the month on Swiss radio.
We stayed at the lovely 14th Century Rebstock Hotel in Lucerne. The bells of St Leodegar Cathedral echoed in my room. I had a great view of them, Lake Lucerne and the Swiss Alps from my window.
Early in the morning after the second concert I made my way back to London for a performance at the Blues Piano Orgy at Brook's Blues Bar along with John Challis and John B. Harris. It was a great night. And nice to be home singing and playing some piano. I miss it!!

Treny : The Nightingale

2008-10-20T12:14:00.006+01:00

The song of the nightingale and its relationship to Treny. Revealing the genesis of its influence on the composition.

Treny will be premiered at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on November 2, 2008.

Treny is a Terezin Chamber Music Foundation commission.

Links of interest:

Nightingale
Free downloads of nightingale song

Tren 6 : Translations

2008-10-19T15:45:00.004+01:00

Exploring a few translations of Tren 6.

Treny will be premiered at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on November 2, 2008.

Treny is a Terezin Chamber Music Foundation commission.

Links of interest:

A translation of Tren 6 by Adam Czerniawski
Translations and information about Treny by Barry Keane
Sappho

Kochanowski and his Treny

2008-08-18T23:00:00.009+01:00

Some background on Kochanowski and the creation of his Treny. Dawn Upshaw discusses the text and her initial impressions of the work in general.

Treny will be premiered at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on November 2, 2008.

Treny is a Terezin Chamber Music Foundation commission.

Links of interest:

Dawn Upshaw
Jan Kochanowski
Polish Renaissance
Mikołaj_Gomółka (Composer and contemporary of Kochanowski. His Melodie na psałterz polski set Kochanowski's translations of the Psalms to music. An excerpt plays in the background during the vidcast)
Czarnolas
Sigismund II Augustus
Treny
A translation of Tren 6 by Adam Czerniawski
Order a copy of the English translation of Treny by Adam Czerniawski

Treny: The Back-Story

2008-07-22T11:40:00.007+01:00

The back-story on Michael's TCMF commission for soprano Dawn Upshaw and ensemble.

Treny will be premiered at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on November 2, 2008.

Treny is a Terezin Chamber Music Foundation commission.

Links of interest:

Dawn Upshaw
Osvaldo Golijov
Ayre
Taraf de Haidouks
David Bruce's Piosenki
Groanbox Boys' Freedom Boot
Kochanowski's Laments (Treny)
Michael Ward Bergeman's Three Roads

MJWB @ De Bijenkorf on Dam Square, Amsterdam

2008-07-13T20:09:00.003+01:00

Improvisations on hyper-accordion from the corner window at De Bijenkorf on Dam Square Amsterdam. Presented on June 19, 2008 as part of the Holland Festival.

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

2008-04-09T23:55:00.032+01:00

A few weeks ago I was part of an Easter week performance of Osvaldo Golijov's La Pasión según San Marcos at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan.

At the time, I was not aware of the historical significance of the site. There was so much travelling and rehearsing, and witnessing and discovering, that it was not always easy to keep informed about where I was exactly, or what I was doing. (Nothing new there!!)

It wasn't until right before the show that I became rather curious about Sant'Ambrogio and his Basilica. While we were waiting for "the curtain to go up" Dan Brantigan suggested I check out the crypt beneath the altar, which was serving as our "stage" that evening. The crypt contained three skeletons.

Earlier in the day I had an experience that literally left me lying at the giant door of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. I should have known then that something was strange about the place. I am not prone to collapsing really.

We had just finished up our first rehearsal in the Basilica and all the musicians were packing up. María Guinand, the incredible Beatrice-like conductor of the Schola Cantorum de Caracas, made an announcement.

"We are very fortunate to be here, to perform La Pasión in a church for the first time. We have a gift for everyone"

And she proceeded to conduct the choir in a performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Ave Maria

I proceeded to leave my body.

Someone has posted the actual performance on youtube. Click here to watch it: Ave Maria

Everyone was frozen. Some people were crying, others dazed. When it was over, many people appeared to "get over it" somewhat quickly and went about their business. All I knew is that I needed to lay down and look at the sky. So, I made it outside the giant doors, put my accordion down, and stretched out on the ground.

To my complete surprise Dan Brantigan sent me the photo at the top of this page a few days later . (Just who is this Dan Brantigan anyway? His website may offer a few clues, but I think it is a far cry from the big picture.)

I can not describe what I felt really. I saw some colours and recited some impromptu poetry to a friend. Then I fell asleep. I awoke to the sounds of a woman shouting to get my attention. It turned out to be the undercover Italian police who were outside the gate observing. They wanted to know why I was collapsed at the door of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, one of the oldest churches in Italy.

I managed to convince them that I meant no disrespect, and after a few tense moments, they decided to let me go.

The next day I learned a lot more about the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, which used to be called Basilica Martyrum because it was in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The Basilica was built by Bishop Ambrose in 379-386. The three skeletons under the crypt are Saint Ambrose and Saints Gervasius and Protasius.

There had never been a musical performance in the church until La Pasión, of course.

Some Music...

2007-10-04T11:47:00.035+01:00

It has been my great fortune to work on a variety of musical projects with some incredibly talented musicians and producers over the past year or so. I have posted some work in various states of progress below.

Two demos featuring vocalist Bhavini Vyas, guitarist Peter Michaels (nylon and steel), and hyper-accordion. These are traditional classical Indian compositions, arranged in a unique setting.

Bhajan

Bhoopali

Produced by Peter Michaels and Michael Ward-Bergeman
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Two demos from the "Swimming Pool" project featuring John Ellis on guitar and Tansay Omar on drums/percussion. Both of these tracks were recorded live at Perry Vale Studios by Pat Collier.

Swimming Pool #5

Swimming Pool #2

Written by Ellis, Omar, Ward-Bergeman
Produced by John Ellis and Michael Ward-Bergeman
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Two demos from Turkish singers Djanan Turan and Asli Keskin. These tracks feature the World Rhythm Poets sound of Tansay Omar (drums/percusion) and Michael Ward-Bergeman (accordion/keyboards)

Ruyaymis
words: Djanan Turan, music: Omar/Turan/Ward-Bergeman

Tango Bitti
words: Asli Keskin, music: Keskin/Omar/Ward-Bergeman

Produced by Tansay Omar

Audio hosted by Podbean.com
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For information and downloads of Michael's composition Three Roads featuring the vocalist Christina Courtin, please click here: Three Roads
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The Groanbox Boys have released their second CD, Fences Come Down. For samples and info, click here: Fences