WÖR
With their finely textured arrangements WÖR injects new energy into 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium. Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on the melodies in these manuscripts.
WÖR released 3 albums ('Back to the 1780's' (2015), 'Sssht' (2017), and 'About Towers' (2021) and toured in Europe, Australia, Canada & the US . In August 2018 they won the German award 'Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik' with their last album 'Sssht'.
“Truly excellent. Also interactive with the students and I think they really held the interest of the students. Everyone I talked to was very impressed!” Davenport Central
“WÖR was fantastic, one of my favorites through the 22 years I have been attending Quad City Arts concerts. They were fantastic musicians, engaging guys, and lots of fun.” Clinton Community College
“I told the audience that in 38 years of performers, WOR ranked probably in the top 3. There was a standing ovation and they did an encore.” Butterworth Center
They were delightful, engaging, so talented, and gathered an appreciative audience everywhere they went! Thrilled to have them do this this residency." Margot, Quad City
"Presenters seek talented, professional, artistic and original artists that can both entertain and connect with their audience. WÖR is a stellar group of five who interpret ancient Carillian folk music melodies found in the bell towers of Belgium and bring these melodies alive and into the contemporary folk music world. What a great show and so appreciated by our audience!" Mission Valley Live, Polson, Montana
Oh my goodness! Those guys were AMAZING! My patrons were so thrilled with the performance and they want me to bring them back. The band was also so chill and awesome to work with professionally.
Kristin Underhill, Managing Director, Crystal Theatre
"Irresistible energy and skill..." Songlines
"A fresh yet aged kaleidoscopic texture" Transglobal World Music Chart
“WÖR, a massive hit with audiences at the Shetland Folk Festival. Not only did they deliver a very powerful sound, they engaged really well with all ages in the audience who reacted with lots of smiles and appreciation." Mhari Pottinger - Programmer, Shetland Folk Festival
Videos
2022 Promo Video
Photos
Click photo to download
Bios
Back to the 1780's! If it sounded good back then, why not today? WÖR (pronounced ‘were’) is a band of five musicians whose curiosity, passion and talent has led to a niche goldmine of melodies in stunning contemporary arrangements.
With their finely textured arrangements WÖR injects new energy into 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium. Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on the melodies in these manuscripts.
WOR released 3 albums ('Back to the 1780's' (2015), 'Sssht' (2017) and 'About Towers' (2021) and toured in Europe, Australia, Canada & the US (including the National Folk Festival, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Concertgebouw Brugge, Sunfest, Shetland folk festival..). In August 2018 they won the German award 'Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik' with their album 'Sssht'. In 2021 they were nominated for 'Best live band' at the Flemish Folk Awards' and their album ‘About Towers’ made it into the ‘World Music Charts Europe’.
WÖR's new album "About Towers" is available now. In typical WÖR fashion, this album is built around Belgian manuscripts but this time we've found our favorites from the vast carillon repertoire.
What is Carillon music, you say? Here in the Low Countries around the late Middle Ages, the carillon (a set of tuned bronze bells suspended in a large tower) used to function like a modern-day radio station playing the hits of the day to everyone in the surrounding area. We breathe new life and energy into these carillon manuscripts. Unusual music in a hip and catchy costume. Always with due respect for tradition, but brimming with artistic originality. Just like the music of the carillonneurs then, our album is a playlist for you, 'the timeless' hits from our region.
Fabio Di Meo
baritone saxophone
Born in Brussels Belgium, Fabio started playing the saxophone at the age of 8 and engaged in lots of music activities such as wind bands, saxophone choir, pop bands, and bigbands. At the age of 18 he started his music studies at the the LUCA School of Art and obtained a master degree in music with specialty of saxophone. He started teaching at the SLAC in Leuven and was involved in many music productions, such as the Belgian National Saxophone choir. After two years of teaching, he went into music production. He started in 2016 as a production officer for the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and is now currently working for Bozar, the Centre for fine Arts Brussels.
Jeroen Goegebuer
fiddle
Jeroen Goegebuer started playing the violin at the age of 6. After 9 years of violin lessons at the music school in Bornem, Jeroen started at the the LUCA School of Arts, campus Lemmens for the last 2 years of art high school. He received a bachelors degree of jazz violin with Jean-Pierre Catoul at the Conservatory of Ghent. He then studied jazz violin with Michael Gustorff at the Artez Hogeschool in Arnhem (NL). At the same time he taught folk violin at the music school of Bornem. After his studies at conservatories of Gent & Arnhem he toured the world with bands in several genres from pop, rock, and world music.
Pieterjan Van Kerckhoven
bagpipes - baroque musette - saxophone
Pieterjan is an active international musician and educator. He can be seen and heard on the international scene with his bands WÖR and EmBRUN and his baroque ensemble Bourdon Collectif (Drone collective). As a freelance musician, he appears on recordings of the early music ensembles “Les Agrémens” (Namur, Belgium) and “Les Menus Plaisirs du Roy” (Brussels, Belgium). Pieterjan holds a master’s and postmaster’s degree in baroque musette and a master’s degree in chamber music from the LUCA School of Arts, campus Lemmens where he studied with Dr. Jean-Pierre Van Hees. Pieterjan is currently the instructor of Bagpipes & Musette at LUCA School of Arts, Campus Lemmens in Leuven, Belgium.
Jonas Scheys
guitar
Jonas studied guitar and luth at the conservatory of Ghent (School of Arts). He holds a master’s degree in guitar and is currently the guitar instructor at the Academy for music in Geraardsbergen. He has been very active in the Belgian roots music scene playing bass, guitar and luth. He also performs in various groups and ensembles in other musical genres such as tango, fusion, baroque and renaissance music. All this experience makes him a very versatile musician. "For me, its the interesting that WÖR combines the two musical genres I prefer the most: baroque music and folk. And I can play it on my first love: the guitar!"
Bert Ruymbeek
accordian
Bert studied accordion at the Academy of Music, Word and Dance of Sint-Niklaas at the age of 9. At the age of 15, he participated in various workshops and internships like the Ethno world music camps. His groovy energy and lyrical accordion playing is strongly influenced by Celtic en Nord-European traditional music. He toured with different ensembles and projects (Folklof, Griff, WÖR,..) in Europe, Australia, China, and Canada. Bert is an instructor in several accordion and roots music programs.
website: www.WeAreWor.com
Programs
Back to the 1780's
WOR takes the audience on a timetravel back and forth now and Flanders 300 years ago.
About Towers
Preferred to bring this program in the buildings where the original music once sounded: churches, bell towers, chapels, castles
FESTIVAL
A fast uptempo set
Repertoire
These people were the musicians of their town: violinists, bell tower musicians, dance masters... They played at all sorts of events, from official ceremonies to parties and informal occasions.
Petrus Josephus Van Belle, 1743, Viane
This collection of tunes by Van Belle was discovered in a church organ in Viane about thirty years ago.
Ioannes de Gruijtters, 1746, Antwerpen
De Gruijtters was the carillon player of Antwerp. In his manuscript 194 melodies and popular tunes from his time got noted down.
Fam. Di Martinelli, ca. 1750, Diest
This collection of four musicians comes from the family archive of Di Martinelli, a family of musicians and lawyers from the town of Diest
Jean-Baptiste-Robert d’Aubat de Saint-Flour, 1757, Gent
A dance master from Ghent. In 1757 his collection of "Honderd uytgelesen Contredansen" was published.
Pierre Trappeniers, ca. 1775, Brussel
A dance master who lived in Brussels between 1734 and 1794 and published three books with contradances.
Franciscus De Prins, 1781, Leuven
Carillon player and organist at the Sint-Geertruikerk in Leuven.
P.J. Vanpelt, 1786, Tongeren/Maastricht
A collection of tunes well preserved in the beautiful Basilica of Tongeren, a city not far from the town Maastricht (NL) where the origin of this manuscript may be.
Theodoor or Augustinus Everaerts, 1728, Antwerpen
The collection 'Beyaert' is the oldest collection to be found in Belgium with music for carillon. It contains mainly Christmas carols.