Mary Bergin Masterclass Workshop - live on zoom!

[Delsman]

Mary Bergin will be teaching live on zoom hosted by The Irish Music School of Chicago on May 14th!

http://irishmusicschool.org/mary-bergin

Virtual Workshops
Saturday, May 14, 2022

Cost: $30 per or $50 for both

Can’t attend live on May 14? You can register to access recordings of the workshop(s). All registrants will receive the recordings to continue to use for learning reference.

Combining the Notes and the Breath with Mary Bergin
How to Give a Tune the ‘Hup’

FLUTE/WHISTLE PLAYERS INTERMEDIATE LEVEL+ OF ALL AGES
(BEGINNERS & LISTENERS WELCOME TOO!)
75 MINUTES • 10:00AM-11:15AM CHICAGO (CDT)

Mary Bergin has an amazing command over her instrument. Her technical skill is impressive to say the least. Tonguing, cuts, rolls, triplets, slides and bounces – her playing is filled with these perfectly executed ornaments. Yet the music never sounds cluttered or excessively decorated. Each flourish and embellishment is carefully considered and added only to enhance the tune

From Mary: "In whistle playing, what I love is the combination of the notes and the breath. It’s not just a matter of taking in air, but of using the breath to give the tune a push forward. Where other people like to use continuous flow in their playing, I like to build the phrases up with the breath – give the tune a ‘hup’ every now and again.”
The Art of Irish Music: Repertoire and Rhythm with Mary Bergin
Finding your ‘Nyah’

ALL MELODIC INSTRUMENT PLAYERS INTERMEDIATE LEVEL+ OF ALL AGES
(BEGINNERS & LISTENERS WELCOME TOO!)
75 MINUTES • 11:30AM-12:45PM CHICAGO (CDT)

On the surface, Irish music is the playing of simple tunes in a particular but simple way. Particular because Irish music has its boundaries - the defining characteristics that make it authentically Irish. But in a sense the inside is bigger than the outside, because within the limits of the tradition there is infinite space for interpretation, experimentation, and innovation. Mary Bergin, considered the titan of the tin whistle, is also a multi-instrumentalist and renowned for her beautiful settings of tunes. In fact, with the ex­cep­tion per­haps of the late Wil­lie Clancy (uil­leann piper supreme), it was fid­dlers, rather than other whis­tle play­ers, who in­flu­enced her most.

Says Mary, "To me, in any form of music it’s the rhythm that’s the most important thing. When I look back on myself as a younger musician I would have sought out a lot of the older players because they had something special, an internal rhythm, feeling and heart and soul, that nyah! or sway, where you find yourself moving your shoulders.”

[Mikethebook]

Did anyone who watched Mary's Masterclass catch the name of the tune she taught at about 50 minutes in? I caught that she thought it was on a Matt Molloy CD but not its name.

[Mr.Gumby]

Any clues? Type of tune, how does it start? You need give us something to go on.

[Delsman]

She taught us the creel of turf. It’s different setting then Matt’s cd. But I think that’s how she uses it to teach us to get the tonging down correctly.

[Mikethebook]

Thanks, Delsman. It was a great workshop!

[Mr.Gumby]

This tune then? I somehow prefer this version over the Molloy Peoples Brady one.

[Mikethebook]

Thanks, Mr Gumby. I'm trying to work through Mary's version which I really like.