The name of this composition is "Mergen," a term from ancient Turkic languages referring to a pre-Islamic deity associated with wisdom and abundance. The instrument Ross Daly plays is called Nak Tarhu, a new instrument designed by Ross in collaboration with the distinguished Australian instrument maker Peter Biffin (www.spikefiddle.com). Tarhu is a series of instruments created by Peter Biffin that produce sound with cone resonators made of very thin wood. The Nak Tarhu belongs to this broader family, combining elements from the Cretan lyra, the Ottoman rebab, and the Indian sarangi. The instrument in the video was constructed in Crete by the Iranian instrument maker Mazdak Fereydooni. The instrument played by Kelly Thoma is a Cretan lyra with sympathetic strings. This type of lyra was designed by Ross Daly in 1991 and first constructed by Nikolaos Bras in Athens. The lyra seen in the video was constructed in Crete by Stelios Petrakis.
