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Hi,
If I may, I would like to let you know about an astronomical musical composition that I am working on. The piece is entitled aroundNorth, and takes its inspiration from the apparent rotation of the stars around Celestial North Pole. It will take the form of a permanent sound installation at Armagh Observatory, in Northern Ireland, and will also be available for touring and downloadable from the internet.
The score for the work will be derived from the movement of the stars themselves as well as making reference to their various characteristics, such as size, brightness and distance from Earth. As the stars cross equally spaced virtual lines of longitude emanating from Celestial North their sounds will be heard corresponding to their position in the sky. Brighter stars will crescendo and diminuendo as they move across the lines whilst fainter stars will sound shorter and quieter. In similar manner, other astronomical parameters, such as distance from Earth and star size and age, will also have their own corresponding musical interpretations, affecting pitch, volume, and so on. As I also intend to work with the different star spectra, translating the different spectral harmonics into acoustic equivalents, I hope it will also be possible to hear the difference between red dwarfs, blue giants, and so on. As the piece plays, it will do so in synchronisation with the rotation of the earth, making it possible to actually hear the movement of the stars in real-time, and thus making a very real connection between its listeners and the wider universe.
In short then, my intended composition aims to reinterpret the sky in a way that I hope will enhance the more usual two-dimensional view. As the piece will allow the listener to simultaneously focus on both distant and close stars as well as across the whole skyline, I hope that it may also offer new information to those who engage with the work and bring new information to the attention of its listeners: new sounds as the stars are used as instruments in their own rights; new ways of appreciating astronomical data for the scientific community; new paths for composition for interested musicians; as well as a ground-breaking development for the visually impaired as, for the first time it will be possible to actually listen to the changing perspective of the stars irrespective of one’s eyesight or local light pollution.
Currently, aroundNorth is short-listed for the New Music Award, and for this there is a public vote. I would like to encourage you to take a look at my short movie describing how the composition will work (shot at Armagh Observatory itself) and if you think it appropriate then to register your vote. The more votes that are accumulated, the greater the chance that we will attain the funding required to create the composition and to offer the general public a new way of connecting with astronomy. For this reason also, please feel very welcome to forward this email to any and everyone whom you think could be interested. The webpage for viewing the movie and for voting is at: http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/newmusicaward/aroundnorth.htm .
Many thanks for your time.
Robert Jarvis
http://www.aroundNorth.wordpress.com
If I may, I would like to let you know about an astronomical musical composition that I am working on. The piece is entitled aroundNorth, and takes its inspiration from the apparent rotation of the stars around Celestial North Pole. It will take the form of a permanent sound installation at Armagh Observatory, in Northern Ireland, and will also be available for touring and downloadable from the internet.
The score for the work will be derived from the movement of the stars themselves as well as making reference to their various characteristics, such as size, brightness and distance from Earth. As the stars cross equally spaced virtual lines of longitude emanating from Celestial North their sounds will be heard corresponding to their position in the sky. Brighter stars will crescendo and diminuendo as they move across the lines whilst fainter stars will sound shorter and quieter. In similar manner, other astronomical parameters, such as distance from Earth and star size and age, will also have their own corresponding musical interpretations, affecting pitch, volume, and so on. As I also intend to work with the different star spectra, translating the different spectral harmonics into acoustic equivalents, I hope it will also be possible to hear the difference between red dwarfs, blue giants, and so on. As the piece plays, it will do so in synchronisation with the rotation of the earth, making it possible to actually hear the movement of the stars in real-time, and thus making a very real connection between its listeners and the wider universe.
In short then, my intended composition aims to reinterpret the sky in a way that I hope will enhance the more usual two-dimensional view. As the piece will allow the listener to simultaneously focus on both distant and close stars as well as across the whole skyline, I hope that it may also offer new information to those who engage with the work and bring new information to the attention of its listeners: new sounds as the stars are used as instruments in their own rights; new ways of appreciating astronomical data for the scientific community; new paths for composition for interested musicians; as well as a ground-breaking development for the visually impaired as, for the first time it will be possible to actually listen to the changing perspective of the stars irrespective of one’s eyesight or local light pollution.
Currently, aroundNorth is short-listed for the New Music Award, and for this there is a public vote. I would like to encourage you to take a look at my short movie describing how the composition will work (shot at Armagh Observatory itself) and if you think it appropriate then to register your vote. The more votes that are accumulated, the greater the chance that we will attain the funding required to create the composition and to offer the general public a new way of connecting with astronomy. For this reason also, please feel very welcome to forward this email to any and everyone whom you think could be interested. The webpage for viewing the movie and for voting is at: http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/newmusicaward/aroundnorth.htm .
Many thanks for your time.
Robert Jarvis
http://www.aroundNorth.wordpress.com