The Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan (ECCG) celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a concert on Saturday, October 5. ECCG has been at the forefront of developing and expanding contemporary repertoire for gamelan in Toronto and beyond.
Found predominantly in Indonesia and its neighbouring countries, gamelan is an instrumental ensemble composed largely of percussion instruments such as metallophones, gongs, and drums. It is mostly a form of traditional, community-based music making that is often performed at ceremonies. There exists many variations of the instruments and ensembles. ECCG performs, in particular, on custom-made Sundanese gamelan degung. (The gamelan are crafted to the specific five-pitch scale called pelog degung.)
ECCG, made up of a core of professional musicians, is a champion of innovation for contemporary gamelan music. Its focus on creating new works has led to multi-disciplinary collaborations. One such example is with famed film music composer, Mychael Danna, for the soundtrack of Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.
“Back to the World”, from the soundtrack Ang Lee’s movie Life Of Pi (2013), featuring gamelan by ECCG:
About the ensemble’s artistic mandate, Artistic Director Blair Mackay, remarks that, “Composers, choreographers, filmmakers, and performers of all media and genres are given the opportunity to find their voice through the sonic landscape of the instruments. Our policy is to be open to all kinds of influences.”
Mackay continues, “The pieces on the program are only a small representation of the ECCG journey. They are works that represent pivotal eras in the ECCG legacy, paying homage to the group and the composers therein.” Those composer-performers include Andrew Timar (North of Java), Bill Parsons (Translating Grace), and Mark Duggan (Gamelan Solo).
The concert will showcase the extraordinary creativity fostered by ECCG, from Timar’s use of electroacoustic elements (tape) to Parsons’s use of vocals. Maxine Heppner Dancers and some mystery guest musicians will also perform.
Also included on the program are John Wyre’s “Islands of Silence”, John Siddall’s “Palace”, and an arrangement of Nano Suratno’s “Kalangkang”.
“This concert is going to have many wonderful moments, milestone pieces, and gems,” adds Associate Artistic Director, Christopher Hull.
Hull, who is a percussionist, educator, and ethnomusicologist, is a relatively new addition to the ensemble, having joined the group in 2018. As veteran members of the ensemble transition into retirement, Hull and the newer members will be building on ECCG’s foundation. Inspired by the work of his predecessors, Hull is looking ahead to future projects.
Whereas many gamelan in North America is connected to an institution, like a university or embassy, ECCG is an independent professional organization with their own instruments, which gives them greater freedom to explore, to experiment and to pursue more innovative creative projects, while still having respect for the instruments and its tradition. There is greater opportunity to expand the boundaries.
“We will continue with the mandate of commissioning, developing, and giving premieres of new music for these instruments,” says Hull.
ECCG has made numerous commercial recordings, where many of the pieces on the concert can be found.
This concert is a great opportunity to be immersed in the enchanting music of different soundscapes and to celebrate the remarkable 40 years of this group.
- The concert will be held October 5 at the Indonesian Consulate. Admission is free, but a ticket is required. Find tickets and more details [HERE].
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