PROGRAMME NOTE

“Celestial Sunrise” is inspired by a sketch by cosmonaut and artist Alexei Leonov. “Sunrise” was the first piece of art created in space, and depicts earth's sunrise as seen from the spacecraft Voskhod 2 as it orbited the earth. My piece not only depicts what I interpret the sunrise to have been like based on the sketch: awe-inspiring light, terror and existential questioning, and spiritual peace, but also the intense human desire to share experiences and emotions through deeper means than can be achieved by simply relaying information. Leonov experienced something that very few people will ever experience, and in that moment he decided to share his awe through colour and shape in a way that he knew would transcend language and experience, and could reach as many people as possible. There is something deeply human in that. I aim to capture that humanity within my work. The compositional process for this piece was inspired by a multitude of composers, notably the works of Arvo Pärt, Chris Gendall, and Sergi Prokofiev. Exploring extremes in range and density of texture, “Celestial Sunrise” aims to capture light and warmth within sound.