Perfect for orchestras wanting to embrace the music of the Pacific, From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs combines the exotic sound worlds of Indonesian gamelan, Rarotongan drumming and Japanese taiko drumming. Farr's best-known orchestral work and a classic in New Zealand's orchestral repertoire, its rhythmic character is initially reminiscent of Balinese processional music, later employing interlocking material in choreographic homage to Bali's reyong gong ensembles.

From the Composer

In Invocation of the Sea the sounds gather in the air, music from the far reaches of the Pacific, the drums of Rarotonga in the East, the Gamelan of Bali in the West, the taiko of Japan in the North. The sounds dart over the waves, mingling into the great crescendo, millions of voices singing, millions of hands drumming, as one.

The flurry of sound segues into Thus Spake the Sea Gongs, stirring up little whirlwinds on the surface of the water, as they beg the sea to hear their invitation. Far below in the gloomy depths lurk the Great Sea Gongs. Unseen by human eyes, they hang motionless, bronze monuments in a world untouched by light. There, they have remained, silent, for millions of years, waiting...

A sound penetrates the depths. For a few moments nothing happens. Then, imperceptibly, a low pulsating begins. The gongs start to vibrate, to rise and rush towards the surface. The sea churns and boils, its colours changing, sapphire, emerald, steely grey.

The sea explodes as the gongs burst forth, gleaming bronze, trailing strings of seaweed. They hang in the sky, austere and silent. Trillions of litres of water splash off the gongs back into the sea, wiping out a small outpost of French scientist on a nearby atoll. The gongs sound a single cadential note and, without fuss, slide back into the sea.