On the obscurity-o-meter, gamelan music rates an 11. Hailing from the illustrious land of Java, a gamelan is not one instrument, but rather an ensemble typically composed of metallophones—such as xylophones and drums—which are struck with a hammer to produce music. Gamelan music has a lot of tradition behind it, and that tradition is only just beginning to make itself heard in the Western world.
Gamelan Son of Lion is one of the oldest gamelan groups in the country. In 1976, Barbara Benary, Daniel Goode, and Philip Corner founded the ensemble, and they have been playing with some newer members since then, premiering over 100 different original pieces.
The Chapel and Cultural Center played host to this venerable troupe in a showcase running the gamut of their wide variety of musical styles. In addition to the traditional gamelan music, Gamelan Son of Lion also ventures into the realm of other traditions, such as Gaelic, and the experimental. The C+CC show began at 7 pm on Friday night and featured seven performances.
The first performance was written by David Demnitz; it was a traditional gamelan piece, played on the group’s own set of instruments, which are all made by Benary. Most of the group plays a Balinese Ankglung keyboard, which Benary makes from hot-rolled steel, PVC tubing, and food cans.
The second act, Margarati, was a traditional Balinese dance, followed by a vocal piece entitled “Peace Over All.” Written by Laura Liben, the performance was a beautiful tapestry of voices all chanting “Peace Over All,” weaving together to really drive the message home.
With the fourth piece, Gamelan Son of Lion began to show its experimental side. Goode performed his “Toy Piece,” comprised mostly of improvisational work with a wire sculpture, hitting, striking, rubbing, and otherwise banging on it, while the sound was transmitted via microphones to the ears of the audience—some of which were covered by the end of the act due to the cacophonous nature of what was produced. Goode also occasionally signaled other members of the troupe to improvise on PVC pipe instruments. Overall this was the weirdest piece of the entire show.
By contrast, the following piece was extremely soothing and tranquil. Called “Jiggalullabye,” a violin and some of the group’s other string instruments supported a flowing gaelic lullabye. The next song followed suit, as the melodic music of a 16-string Chinese zither provided the background for a gold-masked figure in a flowing tunic laced with color. The figure danced in front of seemingly random images projected onto a screen and then successive bursts of text about a lost love.
Following the melodies of the previous piece, Gamelan Son of Lion closed the show on a much more energetic note: a vivacious rendition of Balinese post-cremation music, played as the ashes of the dearly departed are scattered to the winds and the sea. This music was as traditional as it was fast-paced and rhythmic, giving way to sustained applause for all the performers afterward.
Gamelan Son of Lion’s performance was the third in a series, and coincided with the closing of an art gallery, Loop Sanctuary III: Dreams of the New, curated by Sara Ayers. The art was on display from January 5 to February 17, the night of the final show.
