The Nor'west Arch (2011) was commissioned by the Christchurch Arts Festival as a memorial to the 181 people who died in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. It is a highly emotive work with its combination of sustained chords and simple melodic lines that pass between single instruments throughout the band. The work can be enhanced with poignant text about the earthquake that can be spoken at specific points. Farr's work can serve as a reflective highlight to any brass band programme.
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.
