The First Smile Gamelan Ensemble

The First Smile heritage gamelan and accompanying set of wayang puppets were brought from Cirebon to Aotearoa New Zealand by Allan Thomas in 1974. The instruments were intiially housed at Wellington Teachers College, then moved to Victoria University where Allan and Jack Body, both lecturers in the School of Music, introduced the music of Indonesia to students and the music community. The First Smile is now housed at The Long Hall, Te Waihīrere, Wellington, where it is played by several groups across a range of ages. The repertoire includes some traditional pieces but the main focus is on new works by New Zealand composers ( and Lou Harrison!). The ensemble's patron is dhalang Prof Dr Joko Susilo.