The National Concert Hall Gamelan Orchestra got its start in the basement of the Arts block in UCD (University College Dublin) in 2012, with instruments on loan from Niamh Ní Thiarnáin. Led by Peter Moran, a composer and accomplished gamelan player, the group worked its way up, learning the most basic structures (difficult for outsiders to grasp) of Javanese classical music. Early in 2014, following the gift of a brand new set of instruments from the Sultan of Jogyakarta, the group moved to the National Concert Hall. The name of the set of instruments, Kyai Jati Roso, means ‘pure consciousness’. The players come from all kinds of musical backgrounds, from classical to black metal, and play a repertory that mixes traditional Indonesian music, improvisation, and contemporary composition.

These performances were recorded during rehearsals for the group’s concert in the Kevin Barry Room in May, 2015.