songs from the stars
Instrumentation
Bass clarinet
1
Bassoon
2
Clarinet
2
Contra Bassoon
1
Flute
2
French Horn
4
Marimba
1
Oboe
2
Percussion
3
Piano
1
Piccolo
1
Strings
1
Trombone
2
Trumpet
3
Tuba
1
Vibraphone
1
crotales
Bass Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Additional Information
selected as part of BBC National Orchestra of Wales Composition: Wales
premiered by BBC National Orchestra of Wales 28 April 2016, Hoddinott Hall
This piece was inspired by the Philae spacecraft that formed part of the Rossetta mission in 2014. It is based upon transcriptions of the sun, solar flares, a radio storm between Jupiter and Io and stardust and is inspired by spectralist techniques. The first of four movements, the piece follows a satellite lost in space, similar to when Philae was thought to be out of operation. Exploring the loneliness of space the first movement takes a panoramic view of space, slowly introducing each transcription throughout the orchestra, culminating into a cacophony of sound before slowly dying away.
Recordings
Media link