Farr created Tangata o le Moana as the soundtrack to the long-term exhibition of the same name at Wellington's Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, about the first journeys by Pacific people to New Zealand. Usually translated as "people of the sea", Tangata o le Moana features a Tahitian karanga/karakia (call/incantation) its evocative electronic soundscape.
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.
