A Memorable Sunday
Have you ever seen a group of musicians playing Balinese gamelan using a music
score? To the amazement of a host of spectators both national and international, students of the St. Laurensia Kerawitan Gamelan Bali group did exactly that while performing traditional music at the Bali Arts Festival at the Bali Art Centre in Wantilan on Sunday, July 6, 2008. In the fashion of playing classical music in an orchestra, the students of Santa Laurensia School turned page-by-page while playing Balinese gamelan. It amazed those who came to the concert. Some foreign tourists even chose to sit on the floor just to get a closer view of the students playing gamelan with a music score. The room was fully packed with people who watched the show in wonder.
Mr. Drs. I Nyoman Nikanaya M.M., the Head of Cultural Affairs of Bali Province, opened the ceremony. He gave a bouquet of flowers to students as a welcoming gift of thanks for taking part in celebrating the Bali Arts Festival.
The performance lasted for approximately two hours. The team, which consisted of 38 Santa Laurensia students from primary to high school, played 10 Balinese songs and accompanied four dances. The opening dance, “Tari Pendet,” welcomed the audience. The other three dances were “Tari Cendrawasih,” “Tari Wira Yudha,” and “Tari Topeng Tua.”
After the show, several Bali news sources interviewed the students, and the next morning, news of the students’ performances was published in Radar Bali – Jawa Pos Group.
Santa Laurensia School’s Kerawitan Gamelan Balli was conducted and trained by Mr. I Wayan Radjin, and the dancing team was trained by Ms. Valent, Elementary Dancing Teacher.
Being part of this event was a memorable experience for Santa Laurensia students, largely because of the warm reception that they received from proud parents and others in attendance. These parents even suggested having a similar event next year. ( Mr. Simon Rafael & Mr. George Boesger )