Gamelan refers both to a set of instruments, and to the musicians who play them. A Gamelan is typically an ensemble of traditional Indonesian instruments made primarily of bronze or iron. These instruments usually include metal xylophones of different sizes, up to 7 or 8 tuned gongs, various hand drums (kendhang), a wood xylophone (gambang), flutes (suling) and small string instruments (rebab, siter). The gamelan can be played by as many as 25 musicians which can include singers, and is often used to accompany dance, drama and puppet theatre.

Two sets of Gamelan were purchased from Yogyakarta, central Java, Indonesia in 1990 when Glasgow was made the European City of Culture. The set currently housed in Tramway is tuned to the seven-note scale (pelog), and is owned by Glasgow City Council. The second set, tuned to a five-note scale (slendro) is housed at the Murray Owen Centre in East Kilbride, and is owned by the South Lanarkshire Council.

In Indonesia, gamelan music is played in a variety of contexts. It accompanies the wayang, all-night shadow-puppet entertainments, and dance performances. Ordinary people will use a gamelan to celebrate family events such as births, weddings and circumcisions. In the Royal Courts, gamelan concerts are given to mark auspicious dates in the Javanese calendar.

Outside of Indonesia, the instruments are often seen in concert situations and events both indoors and outside. The striking appearance and unusual sounds of the instruments bring audiences wherever they are performed.  

You can download a general information leaflet about the Gamelan Naga Mas [PDF, 177KB].