Commissioned by percussionist Andy Harnsberger, the idea for Farr's Traveller comes from a piece he wrote in the early 90s, Kembang Suling (PE001). The work is in three movements, and is a reflection of Farr's musical experiences since writing Kembang Suling. A fiercely difficult virtuoso marimba solo with percussion backing, Farr has written the percussion trio parts for each movement in a style representative of the musical style of a specific region (China, Indonesia, India), with the marimba part completely independent and not locked into the stylistic idioms.
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.
