Queen of Demons was the second of Gareth Farr's orchestral works to be inspired by the Hebrew myth of the demon Lilith (the first was Lilith's Dream of Ecstasy). After Lilith was cast out of the garden of Eden for being too dominant in character, she reformed herself as a great demon and began to produce lilim (baby Liliths) at the rate of one thousand a day - her band of demons. This work evokes the terrifyingly beautiful sight of Lilith at the head of her flock of black demons, flying through the air, plummeting from the sky and creating havoc wherever they land.
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.
