Crowd-pleasing and unashamedly virtuosic, Farr's Funambulistic Strains makes acrobatic demands of the solo trombonist. Propelled by Farr's campy sense of rhythm, the work utilises many tonal colours and features a waltz with a mighty backbeat, chattering brass, and maximum excitement and energy during its nine-minute romp.
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.
