Oxford Contemporary Music have organised a stunning programme of new music for Javanese gamelan instruments and prepared piano, exploring different tonalities and sound worlds. First up is a world premiere of acclaimed pianist and composer Rolf Hind's Beyond the Island. He will be joined by a gamelan quartet consisting of members of Hammer and Bronze, a new ensemble promoting the commissioning, composition and performance of new repertoire for gamelan instruments, and of Southbank Gamelan Players, ensemble-in-residence at Southbank Centre.
Beyond the Island is an adaptation of 3 movements from Rolf Hind's multi-instrument piece What Is The Weft, which premiered at Huddersfield Festival in 2017. 'Towards the Island' is a prelude that introduces a dance-like quality before it gradually starts to falter and then dissipate. The second movement 'You're It' (a pun on the sanskrit phrase Tat Tvam Asi) is joyful and builds in energy, and showcases, through its unison structure, the interconnectedness of all the performers, a particularly key facet of the gamelan orchestra. In the Third movement, 'The Interruption of a Sleep', tolling textures gradually accelerate and rise until a dream-like ending hangs suspended. The ensemble will also perform Richard Causton's Chorales, Symon Clarke's Three Exits, and a world premiere of Robert Campion's Moonglow, Earthshine for rebab (two-stringed fiddle), gendèrs, and slenthem (low pitched metallophone with tube resonators). It promises to be an exceptional evening of gamelan both for seasoned listeners and for those who are new to the form.
