Originally written for soprano, kaikaranga (Maori chanter), percussion, puoro Maori (Maori wind instruments) and electronic keyboard for the pre-game entertainment at the 2002 Bledisloe Cup rugby test, Farr's orchestral version of Aoraki is a complete reworking of the material into a more substantial concert piece. A setting of a specially commissioned poem by Wellington poet Te Taite Cooper, the work is also an integration of Maori, Pakeha and Pacific music styles, something of an analogy to how Farr sees our society, or at least how it could be - many cultures side by side, all independent, none compromising their integrity, but working together harmoniously.
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
