Galungan uses sounds recorded in and around Ubud (Bali, Indonesia). Several visits I have made there since the early 1990s have acquainted me with a unique traditional culture (marked by daily ceremony and ritual as a part of everyday life) and a beautiful natural environment. Both of these also present a rich sonic tapestry: sounds from the rice paddies, sounds from the gamelan and sounds that weave their way through all aspects of life in the area. Many of the sounds used in the piece were recorded during and around the Galungan religious festival (featuring many impromptu musical events and gatherings). The work gravitates to the rice paddies and the ceremonies, and to day and night. These separated aspects are evident in the structure of the work, but are also united in the materials developed: the pulse of the natural night sounds and the rhythm of the ceremonies, and the resonances of the music, instruments and rituals.

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Galungan was realized at the Electroacoustic Music Studios at The University of Manchester (UK) and premiered on October 8, 2010 during the festival Ai-maako at the Teatro Municipal Lord Cochrane in Valdivia (Chile).

Premiere

• October 8, 2010, Ai-maako 2010: Concierto carta blanca de David Berezan, Teatro Municipal Lord Cochrane, Valdivia (Chile)