I have argued elsewhere that the three-part harmonic voicings of the Toba Batak lapo repertoire are worked out collaboratively between whoever is available to sing, on the fly Byl , APK Combo. I was the second graduating class after the program was changed to three years, though it covered as much material as the previous four-year program. Today it is open to anyone interested in practicing, with a focus on the repertoire of dance and music frequently performed at the Mangkunegaran court. Coming in the middle of an evening set featuring traditional and fusion presentations of Javanese gamelan, the promise of the shimmering sounds of Balinese gamelan and the elegant silhouettes of Balinese dancers seemed to be a welcome interlude.
nest...