Sunday 31 August 2008, 7.30pm
Mela Gardens, Beside Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh, UK

Gamelan Naga Mas is delighted to present their Scottish Bali and Iron Pipes programme at the Edinburgh Mela Festival this year.  An enticing blend of Javanese and Balinese works with an added flavour of Scottish small and great highland bagpipes, featuring soloist Barnaby Brown. New works by Jon Keliehor, Margaret Smith and J Simon van der Walt. Musical Director Signy Jacobsdottir.

Included in Sunday Site Pass. More info at Edinburgh Mela Festival website. 

Why Gamelan and Bagpipes?

Well, it started with a phonecall with the question “Can you do something ‘culturally diverse’ ?”  I replied with, “Well, I have heard a rumour that gamelan and bagpipes go well together – but I’m not sure I believe it!”

Then, synchronistically, a piper approached the group the very next day looking for a gamelan workshop for his education students.

A dialogue began: sitting in Café Hula – 3 of us met – Barnaby, Simon and myself – I listened but didn’t understand much – I kept thinking I should know this, I am Scottish…

In the next meeting the gamelan and the bagpipes met. After a few bits of sticky tape they were talking to each other. A third meeting, and we began exchanging musical ideas, beginning in each tradition. We played a gangsaran and Barnaby improvised. Barnaby played some Highland and Border tunes and we improvised.

We decided to have a development weekend. We found dates we were all free but couldn’t get permission to play in our home at Tramway, so we arranged a move for the weekend. Three days before the weekend we were given our final ultimatum from Tramway to leave in the wake of the Scottish Ballet moving in. So we left Tramway for the last time to head off for an adventure in Scottish Bali with Barnaby.

Arriving in Kinning Park Complex early on Saturday we began our adventure with a cup of full-roast Java – dancing our way from lancaran to Bonnie Lancaranne, choreographing Gaelic and Balinese chant into kecakaireachd and stepping out into a new set of Iron Pipes.

At the end of the weekend, bursting with ideas and all the food that Natalia had cooked (terima kasih), we travelled to our temporary home at Polyphony Music Project, Garnavel Hospital (1000 thank-yous to Kath and her colleagues for sharing their space with us while we find a new home) where we have been thriving and practicing our new moves to bring to our unsuspecting audiences.

Roles in the collaboration: co-composers, devisors, music creators

Each time I go to write a programme note, I get stuck for hours trying to assign an identity to each role within the group. Who composed the music? Who is the director? Who’s responsible for all this?

First of all, Barnaby is creating the piping music in real time. His part is pre-prepared in essence, but the detail is spontaneously improvised, different every time. Only in one item does he depart from traditional tunes (Bonny Anne & Berwick Bully). His energy and enthusiasm in all the meetings, not to mention his brilliant piping, has been a magical force in this collaboration between Scottish and Indonesian traditions. Simon has taken a lead with the kecak, and Signy has kept us all in shape musically, plus devising physical warm-ups so that we don’t pull a muscle every time Simon says piu! to cue a kecak stance.

My experience in Naga Mas is an overwhelming group collaboration. Each member of the group participates in more than the music to make all this happen; moving instruments, driving vans, cooking food, buying candles, printing leaflets, keeping the accounts up to date, writing policies, writing music, leading rehearsals, negotiating spaces, negotiating the numbers of times round section and most importantly discussing what not to wear!

Our group meets every Tuesday night under the music direction of Signy Jakobsdottir. In addition to Signy’s musical leadership we have Jon Keliehor who has composed many pieces for Naga Mas and directed Float Sound Objects (2005). A CD of Float Sound Objects is available from Naga Mas, which also includes works by embers Katherine Waumsley and J. Simon van der Walt.

My thanks to Barnaby Brown and everyone in Naga Mas for collaboratively co-composing, devising and creating these new moves in Scottish Bali & Iron Pipes.

Mags Smith