Commissioned by principal flute in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bridget Douglas and renowned taonga puoro researcher and artist Alistair Fraser, Farr's Silver Stone Wood Bone brings together flutes and traditional Maori instruments to create playful and delicate portraits of nature.
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.
