Farr's Lagu Untuk Teman Baru (A Song for a New Friend) came from a commission from contemporary Malaysian gamelan ensemble Rhythm in Bronze and Australia's The Song Company for a work that combined gamelan and voice. This short work sees four solo voices intermingle with the resonant sounds of the Malaysian gamelan, exchanging ideas and expertise.
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.
