The Five-Flower Story

Balinese Gamelan instruments, 4m30s

The composition of this piece was made possible with a grant from the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) that Gamelan Segara Madu, the Balinese Gamelan ensemble at the University of Hawaii, received in 2011. I was performing as a member of Segara Madu at the time and was one of several composers asked to compose new works for the group.

The composition uses only some of the usual Gamelan instruments: the lowest metal percussion instruments, and the high bamboo flutes. The instruments play musical roles different from those they have in typical Gamelan music, as well: usually, all of these instruments play (variations on) the same musical line; here, they have more westernized roles of accompaniment and melody. The flute part was originally intended for two flutes with interlocking patterns; this version has only one flutist playing a combination of the two lines.

The title is merely poetic. The listener is invited to make up their own story, about whichever five flowers they prefer.