Originally commissioned by the the Christchurch Arts Festival for brass band and percussion (PE134), The Nor'west Arch is a memorial to the victims of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand. The work was adapted for orchestra and premiered by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, at the Brisbane Festival, Queensland, Australia on 23 September 2011, in remembrance for the victims of the 2011 Queensland floods.
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.
