On Monday 17th 2008, Firebird hosted a special session for a small group of musicians and artists from Lincoln to explore the unique sound world of the Javanese gamelan owned by the City Council.

The purpose of the session was not to learn about the traditions of Javanese music per se, but to enable the participants to investigate its musical possibilities for themselves and find out its potential to enhance their own work and art forms.

Composer, Ray Smith, grabbed the chance to try out a few experimental sections of a new ecumenical mass he is currently composing and looking to premiere in the Cathedral in 2009. The Javanese gamelan with it's roots Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam is a rich resource for such a piece and the place of the gamelan in the composition an exciting prospect. 

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