Kembang Suling (1996) for flute and marimba is one of Farr's earliest works and has become a standard in the repertoire for flute and percussion. Displaying Farr's love of Indonesian gamelan music, Kembang Suling contains flowing gamelan-inspired melodies that intertwine with the sound of the suling (Balinese bamboo flute) to form rich, colourful tapestries.
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.
