LAYAG, a Filipino term for sail (n.), is a work for orchestra inspired from the vast seas of Southeast Asia. Being an archipelago of thousands of islands, Southeast Asia is also an archipelago of various peoples, cultures and arts –all of these connected by a shared sea.  The work aims to evoke a sense of adventure for the listener -to set sail on these facets of Southeast Asia.

 

Opening with a call from a Horn, we hear sol-la-mi, an invocation for the wind –a reference to a ritual of Filipino sailors who would whistle before setting sail to call for a steady wind. We hear this sol-la-mi motif, or G-Am-Em harmonic progressions throughout the work.

 

Although, no actual Southeast Asian musical instrument is heard in this piece, the composer aims to reminisce the ethereal sounds of Southeast Asian musics with the use of parallel fifths, open harmonies, phasing, and the use of pentatonic scales in several parts.

 

Southeast Asia may be a small part of the map, but in terms of cultural diversity, it consists of entire worlds. So, set sail along with Layag, and hope that it brings you to another Southeast Asian shore.

 

Layag was premiered by the ASEAN Youth Music Project at SEAMEX 2019, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.