The NCH Gamelan Orchestra has released its debut single online. I composed Embat in 2014 to commemorate the gift of the NCH gamelan instruments from the Sultan of Yogyakarta. The piece was premiered in Ireland's National Concert Hall for the gamelan's inaugural naming ceremony during the sultan's royal visit in September of that year. Over the years it has been performed at music festivals across Ireland and Java.
'Embat' is available now for streaming and download from Bandcamp , Spotify, and iTunes.
The word "embat" is a Javanese word referring to the characteristic tuning differences which make each gamelan unique. The music uses traditional Yogykarta playing techniques to highlight the key features of the gamelan's tuning. The composition was inspired by the sounds of gamelan craftsmen forging a new gong which I filmed in Java in 2013.
Event: Yogyakarta International Karawitan Festival
Keynote Speech: The Resonance of Karawitan
Venue: ISI Yogyakarta, Java
Event: Yogyakarta International Karawitan Festival
World Premiere: Archipelago
for gamelan and uilleann pipes
Performers: ISI Gamelan Orchestra, Anon Suneko, Mark Redmond
Venue: ISI Yogyakarta, Java
Event: Oxford New Music Weekend
Performance: Bonang Quartets Nos.1&2
Performers: Hammer & Bronze Contemporary Gamelan Ensemble
Venue: The Pavilion, St Hilda's College, Oxford
Irish Premiere: Archipelago
for gamelan and uilleann pipes
Performers: UCD Gamelan Orchestra, Anon Suneko, Mark Redmond, Paddy Glackin
Venue: National Concert Hall, Dublin
Event: Kaleidoscope Night
Performers: NCH Gamelan Orchestra
Venue: Bello Bar, Dublin
Event: Indonesian Music and Dance Concert
Performers: NCH Gamelan Orchestra, Sanggar Tari Irlandia-Indonesia
Venue: National Concert Hall, Dublin
