BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

OVER 50 children “rolled their hands” to emit melodic chimes as they were taught to play the traditional musical instrument – Gulingtangan yesterday.

They were taught Gulingtangan’s history and what melodies can be made from the row of eight horizontally arranged bronze gongs.

Speaking to The Brunei Times at the Language and Literature Bureau (DBP), DBP officer Sukartine Hj Ahmad Hassin said the Gulingtangan workshop was part of a host of activities until December 13, 2014 for children registered as DBP club members.

“Gulingtangan is our heritage thus this workshop is our way of passing on the skills, traditions and songs to the younger generations,” she said.

This is the right time to teach the children because this is the school holiday period and they have the time and eagerness to learn.

“Most of the children we have are freshers. Some older members have grown and understandably have more commitments like important exams to study for,” she said.

“So when they’re still young, free and absorbent, this is the best time to teach them new musical talents they can pick up.”

Despite some members having “outgrown” the club, she said there are still plenty of new members enlisting in DBP every year.

She could not give an exact figure of how many but she said the over 50 children showing yesterday morning was an indication of parents still having much trust in DBP.

“Even when we’re in Bandar Seri Begawan, we even get parents sending their children to the DBP over from as far as Lambak and the Tutong district,” she said.

Today they would be making an educational visit to the museum. Tomorrow they would also be taught to play the traditional game Pasang.

The Brunei Times