Year 4: Gamelan

Year 4 enjoyed a morning of immersing themselves in Gamelan, the music of Indonesia. To begin, the headteacher of a school for music and dance from the island of Java taught our pupils a song called 'Jaranan'. They then learnt the dance moves, which made it clear that the song was about a horse.

The tuneful children then used a range of Gamelan instruments to play a melody that occurs between the verses of song. Instruments, they were told, were to be respected and Gamelan players are always very careful to walk around their instruments, instead of stepping over them, as a sign of respect.

By the end of the session the whole class could play a variety of instruments and sing the Gamelan song with it. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.