Suite for Violin with American Gamelan

While predominantly influenced by Indonesian music, the “Suite for Violin and American Gamelan” also includes an estampie, the Medieval dance Harrison sometimes called Stampede, three “Jahlas” based on the Indian jhala (ostinato) technique, and a concluding (European) Chaconne.

The gamelan ensemble was built by Harrison and William Colvig from aluminum slabs, tin cans, conduit tubing, cut-off truncated oxygen tanks (struck with flattened baseball bats), and galvanized garbage cans, with tunable pieces being meticulously honed to pitch, in just intonation, with metal files.

The work was written in collaboration with his student Richard Dee, beginning with the Chaconne. Harrison remarked, “I have always enjoyed working with other composers…. Co-op composition is fun if the rules are set up and nobody cheats."