It was such a feast for the senses playing in the Gamelan Sekar Petak’s annual concert in York on Wednesday. Under the direction of Neil Sorrell and dedicated to the memory of the maker of the York Gamelan, Tentrem Sarwanto (1940-2015), the themes were Passings and Ships in the Night in the first half and Rituals and Far Away Sounds after the break. What a superb array of performers and collaborations – shamen, shakers, flutes, dancers, singers, Coritani from Humber Taiko, Global Grooves ensemble, Samba York, atmospheric lighting and during the amazing Ida-fixe sago fertility ritual, the scent of incense.
Here is our group playing the opening piece (and first piece ever played on the York Gamelan in Solo, Central Java in 1981) Ladrang Wilujeng. We also played Lancaran Maynar Sewu (a thousand weaver birds, including singing and my favourite part, the bird like sounds ‘cru-wat cru-wit) and David Hammond’s collaborative composition, Gambas Sambal with Samba York. I loved the innovative interpretations of traditional and new pieces including – in Lancaran Baita Kandhas – a representation of the sound of the water as a boat ran aground created by everyone blowing bubbles through straws into glasses of water while still playing the Gamelan – fantastic!
Rich and Dex loved the whole show and Rich took some photos.
Rich and Lou Duffy-Howard – Visit our Home Page