BEARDS IN SPACE
The first half of our program is a brief set of contemporary choral works related to outer space, each of which contrast widely in their sound and scope. Catherine Dalton’s Silver Deity of Secret Night celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing—it is both lyrical and gripping in the way the two texts are paired together.
Sarah Rimkus’s Account of a Comet utilizes a lengthy text by Caroline Herschel, one of the first women to be paid for her work as a scientist. Fans of musical minimalism will recognize and appreciate repeated rhythmic patterns that center around a single pitch, which builds texture through added voices and harmony.
Juhi Bansal’s In Perfect Light is excerpted from the epilogue of her cantata We Look to the Stars. Shimmering dissonances and rich harmonies adorn this charming work with a beautiful text by Sarah Williams.
Eric Banks’s Onomata planêtôn, which we first performed in 2016, moves throughout our solar system by naming each of the nine planets and their moons (if applicable). The planets are named by stacked 5th harmonies in the lower voices, and the moons are named via a cascading, imitative scalar sound. It’s quite stunning!
Charles Anthony Silvestri’s text for “Jupiter” is written from the perspective of Jove, the wife of Juptier in Roman mythology (equivalent to Zeus and Hera in Greek). Jupiter was known for his proclivity for adultery, and the text really says it all. Read on!
Following our intermission, MPLS (imPulse) will join with our partners The Bearded Company for an improvised musical adventure: Beards in Space. The choral textures, tags, and sound effects from the choir were written by composer Joshua Clausen, but no performance of his work will sound the same. Pianist Jack Barrett and Samuel Grace respond to the improvised adventure crafted by the actors, choosing the best sounds to support the drama on stage. We hope you enjoy this performance!
Silver Deity of Secret Night
Catherine Dalton
beta, gamma, epsilon, omega, delta, lambda, pi…
Thou silver deity of secret night,
Direct my footsteps through the woodland shade;
Thou conscious witness of unknown delight,
The Lover’s guardian, and the Muse’s aid!
By thy pale beams I solitary rove,
To thee my tender grief confide;
Serenely sweet you gild the silent grove,
My friend, my goddess, and my guide.
E’en thee, fair queen, from thy amazing height,
The charms of young Endymion drew;
Veil’d with the mantle of concealing night;
With all thy greatness and thy coldness too.
– Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762)
Apollo 11 is scheduled to launch July 16, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 36-story Saturn V rocket with a first stage thrust of 7.5 million pounds will hurl astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins into space en route to the moon, 240,000 miles away.
Two hours and 44 minutes into the launch, a “burn” will boost the payload from its 17,500 mile an hour earth orbit to an escape velocity of 25,000 miles per hour. After entering lunar orbit, the Eagle will separate from the Columbia. Armstrong will be the first man to set foot on the moon.
BOOSTER…GO, EECOM…GO FLIGHT, GNC…GO, TELCOM…GO FLIGHT, CONTROL…GO, NETWORK…
GO FLIGHT, GO FOR LAUNCH… 50 SECONDS AND COUNTING…TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO.
An Account of a Comet
Sarah Rimkus
An Account of a new Comet. In a Letter from Miss Caroline Herschel to Charles Blagden, M.D. Sec. R.S.
Read Nov. 9, 1786
SIR,
IN consequence of the friendship which I know to exist between you and my Brother, I venture to trouble you in his absence with the following imperfect account of a comet.
The employment of writing down the observations, when my Brother uses the 20-feet reflector,
does not often allow me time to look at the heavens; but as he is now on a visit to Germany, I have taken the opportunity of his absence to sweep in the neighbourhood of the sun, in search of comets; and last night, the 1st of August, about 10 o'clock, I found an object very much resembling in colour and brightness the 27th nebula of the Connoissance des Temps, with the difference however of being round. I suspected it to be a comet; but a haziness coming on, it was not possible intirely to satisfy myself as to its motion till this evening. I made several drawings of the stars in the field of view with it, and have inclosed a copy of them, with my observations annexed, that you may compare them together.
August 1, 1786, 9 h. 50′, the object in the center is like a star out of focus, while the rest are
perfectly distinct, and I suspect it to be a comet. Tab. I. fig. 1.
10 h. 33′, fig. 2. the suspected comet makes now a perfect isosceles triangle with the two
stars a and b.
11 h. 8′, I think the situation of the comet is now as in fig. 3.; but it is so hazy that I cannot
sufficiently see the small star b to be assured of the motion.
By the naked eye the comet is between the 54th and 53d Ursæ majoris, and the 14th, 15th, and
16th Comæ Berenices, and makes an obtuse triangle with them, the vertex of which is turned
towards the south.
August 2. 10 h. 9′, the comet is now, with respect to the stars a and b*, situated as in fig, 4,
therefore the motion since last night is evident.
10 h. 30′, another considerable star c may be taken into the field with it, by placing a in the center; when the comet and the other star will both appear in the circumference, as in fig. 5,
These observations were made with a Newtonian sweeper of 27 inches focal length, and a power of about 20, the field of view is 2° 12′. I cannot find the stars a and c in any catalogue; but suppose they may easily be traced in the heavens; whence the situation of the comet, as it was last night at 10 h. 33′, may be pretty nearly ascertained.
You will do me the favour of communicating these observations to my brother's astronomical
friends.
I have the honour to be, &c.
CAROLINE HERSCHEL.
Slough, near Windsor,
August 2, 1786
In Perfect Light
Juhi Bansal
Though my soul will set in darkness,
it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly
to be fearful of the night.
-adapted from The Old Astronomer by Sarah Williams (England, 19th c.)
Onomata planêtôn
Eric Banks
An intonation in Greek, Latin, and English, naming all of the planets and moons in our solar system:
English: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury…
Greek: Hades, Poseidon, Ouranos, Kronos, Zeus, Ares, Gaia, Aphrodite, Hermes…
Latin: Pluto, Neptunus, Uranus, Saturnus, Jupiter, Mars, Terra, Venus, Mercurius…
[MOONS]
Pluto:
Hades
Neptune (Named for eight characters of Greek myth that are also creatures in sea legends):
Nereid, Triton, Proteus, Larissa, Galatea, Despina, Thalassa, Naiad
Uranus (Named for twenty characters in plays by Shakespeare or Alexander Pope):
Setebos, Prospero, Sycorax, Stephano, Caliban, Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, Puck, Belinda, Rosalind, Portia, Juliet, Desdemona, Cressida, Bianca, Ophelia, Cordelia
Saturn (Named for eighteen of the Titans, mythical beings who preceded the Gods of Olympus):
Phoebe, Iapetus, Hyperion, Titan, Rhea, Dione, Helene, Tethys, Telesto, Calypso, Enceladus, Mimas, Janus, Epimetheus, Pandora, Prometheus, Atlas, Pan
Jupiter (Named for sixteen of Zeus’ notorious paramours in Greek mythology):
Sinope, Pasiphae, Carme, Ananke, Elara, Lysithea, Himalia, Leda, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, Io, Thebe, Amalthea, Adrastea, Metis
Mars (Named for the Greek god of war’s two sons: “panic” and “fear”):
Deimos, Phobos
Earth:
Moon
There are no known moons in orbit around Venus, Mercury, or the Sun.
V. Jupiter (A Wife Betrayed) from Helios
Timothy C. Takach
Look at him.
Just look at him.
Smug and fat, pompous, preening,
Rolling about in bedsheets
Of orange and scarlet satin,
Surrounded by his paramours--
Io and Europa,
Iocaste and Eurydome,
Leda, Adrastea,
Callisto, Themisto— [Even S-2010-J2, that slut!]
So many I can’t even count
Or care to remember.
And yet, I do remember.
Look at him.
He cares little for my honor,
Even less for my feelings.
I am his lover! His wife! His queen!
And yet no planet wanders named for me!
No stately Juno to glide about the sun,
Wrapped in swirling clouds of rose and silver grey…
Alas, that is not to be,
For Jove takes all.
Attracts all.
Rules all.
But I am Juno,
Mighty Queen of gods and men,
And I demand my due!
I shall be a tempest,
Red and roiling like an angry sore,
Digging into his tender side--
A bright red spot to spoil his splendor,
A reminder of the ageless rage
Of a wife betrayed.
So, look at him!
All who gaze at him,
From now until the ending of the worlds,
Shall see only me!
– Charles Anthony Silvestri
– Commissioned for Helios
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The first half of our program is a brief set of contemporary choral works related to outer space, each of which contrast widely in their sound and scope. Catherine Dalton’s Silver Deity of Secret Night celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing—it is both lyrical and gripping in the way the two texts are paired together.
Sarah Rimkus’s Account of a Comet utilizes a lengthy text by Caroline Herschel, one of the first women to be paid for her work as a scientist. Fans of musical minimalism will recognize and appreciate repeated rhythmic patterns that center around a single pitch, which builds texture through added voices and harmony.
Juhi Bansal’s In Perfect Light is excerpted from the epilogue of her cantata We Look to the Stars. Shimmering dissonances and rich harmonies adorn this charming work with a beautiful text by Sarah Williams.
Eric Banks’s Onomata planêtôn, which we first performed in 2016, moves throughout our solar system by naming each of the nine planets and their moons (if applicable). The planets are named by stacked 5th harmonies in the lower voices, and the moons are named via a cascading, imitative scalar sound. It’s quite stunning!
Charles Anthony Silvestri’s text for “Jupiter” is written from the perspective of Jove, the wife of Juptier in Roman mythology (equivalent to Zeus and Hera in Greek). Jupiter was known for his proclivity for adultery, and the text really says it all. Read on!
Following our intermission, MPLS (imPulse) will join with our partners The Bearded Company for an improvised musical adventure: Beards in Space. The choral textures, tags, and sound effects from the choir were written by composer Joshua Clausen, but no performance of his work will sound the same. Pianist Jack Barrett and Samuel Grace respond to the improvised adventure crafted by the actors, choosing the best sounds to support the drama on stage. We hope you enjoy this performance!
Silver Deity of Secret Night
Catherine Dalton
beta, gamma, epsilon, omega, delta, lambda, pi…
Thou silver deity of secret night,
Direct my footsteps through the woodland shade;
Thou conscious witness of unknown delight,
The Lover’s guardian, and the Muse’s aid!
By thy pale beams I solitary rove,
To thee my tender grief confide;
Serenely sweet you gild the silent grove,
My friend, my goddess, and my guide.
E’en thee, fair queen, from thy amazing height,
The charms of young Endymion drew;
Veil’d with the mantle of concealing night;
With all thy greatness and thy coldness too.
– Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762)
Apollo 11 is scheduled to launch July 16, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 36-story Saturn V rocket with a first stage thrust of 7.5 million pounds will hurl astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins into space en route to the moon, 240,000 miles away.
Two hours and 44 minutes into the launch, a “burn” will boost the payload from its 17,500 mile an hour earth orbit to an escape velocity of 25,000 miles per hour. After entering lunar orbit, the Eagle will separate from the Columbia. Armstrong will be the first man to set foot on the moon.
BOOSTER…GO, EECOM…GO FLIGHT, GNC…GO, TELCOM…GO FLIGHT, CONTROL…GO, NETWORK…
GO FLIGHT, GO FOR LAUNCH… 50 SECONDS AND COUNTING…TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO.
An Account of a Comet
Sarah Rimkus
An Account of a new Comet. In a Letter from Miss Caroline Herschel to Charles Blagden, M.D. Sec. R.S.
Read Nov. 9, 1786
SIR,
IN consequence of the friendship which I know to exist between you and my Brother, I venture to trouble you in his absence with the following imperfect account of a comet.
The employment of writing down the observations, when my Brother uses the 20-feet reflector,
does not often allow me time to look at the heavens; but as he is now on a visit to Germany, I have taken the opportunity of his absence to sweep in the neighbourhood of the sun, in search of comets; and last night, the 1st of August, about 10 o'clock, I found an object very much resembling in colour and brightness the 27th nebula of the Connoissance des Temps, with the difference however of being round. I suspected it to be a comet; but a haziness coming on, it was not possible intirely to satisfy myself as to its motion till this evening. I made several drawings of the stars in the field of view with it, and have inclosed a copy of them, with my observations annexed, that you may compare them together.
August 1, 1786, 9 h. 50′, the object in the center is like a star out of focus, while the rest are
perfectly distinct, and I suspect it to be a comet. Tab. I. fig. 1.
10 h. 33′, fig. 2. the suspected comet makes now a perfect isosceles triangle with the two
stars a and b.
11 h. 8′, I think the situation of the comet is now as in fig. 3.; but it is so hazy that I cannot
sufficiently see the small star b to be assured of the motion.
By the naked eye the comet is between the 54th and 53d Ursæ majoris, and the 14th, 15th, and
16th Comæ Berenices, and makes an obtuse triangle with them, the vertex of which is turned
towards the south.
August 2. 10 h. 9′, the comet is now, with respect to the stars a and b*, situated as in fig, 4,
therefore the motion since last night is evident.
10 h. 30′, another considerable star c may be taken into the field with it, by placing a in the center; when the comet and the other star will both appear in the circumference, as in fig. 5,
These observations were made with a Newtonian sweeper of 27 inches focal length, and a power of about 20, the field of view is 2° 12′. I cannot find the stars a and c in any catalogue; but suppose they may easily be traced in the heavens; whence the situation of the comet, as it was last night at 10 h. 33′, may be pretty nearly ascertained.
You will do me the favour of communicating these observations to my brother's astronomical
friends.
I have the honour to be, &c.
CAROLINE HERSCHEL.
Slough, near Windsor,
August 2, 1786
In Perfect Light
Juhi Bansal
Though my soul will set in darkness,
it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly
to be fearful of the night.
-adapted from The Old Astronomer by Sarah Williams (England, 19th c.)
Onomata planêtôn
Eric Banks
An intonation in Greek, Latin, and English, naming all of the planets and moons in our solar system:
English: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury…
Greek: Hades, Poseidon, Ouranos, Kronos, Zeus, Ares, Gaia, Aphrodite, Hermes…
Latin: Pluto, Neptunus, Uranus, Saturnus, Jupiter, Mars, Terra, Venus, Mercurius…
[MOONS]
Pluto:
Hades
Neptune (Named for eight characters of Greek myth that are also creatures in sea legends):
Nereid, Triton, Proteus, Larissa, Galatea, Despina, Thalassa, Naiad
Uranus (Named for twenty characters in plays by Shakespeare or Alexander Pope):
Setebos, Prospero, Sycorax, Stephano, Caliban, Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, Puck, Belinda, Rosalind, Portia, Juliet, Desdemona, Cressida, Bianca, Ophelia, Cordelia
Saturn (Named for eighteen of the Titans, mythical beings who preceded the Gods of Olympus):
Phoebe, Iapetus, Hyperion, Titan, Rhea, Dione, Helene, Tethys, Telesto, Calypso, Enceladus, Mimas, Janus, Epimetheus, Pandora, Prometheus, Atlas, Pan
Jupiter (Named for sixteen of Zeus’ notorious paramours in Greek mythology):
Sinope, Pasiphae, Carme, Ananke, Elara, Lysithea, Himalia, Leda, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, Io, Thebe, Amalthea, Adrastea, Metis
Mars (Named for the Greek god of war’s two sons: “panic” and “fear”):
Deimos, Phobos
Earth:
Moon
There are no known moons in orbit around Venus, Mercury, or the Sun.
V. Jupiter (A Wife Betrayed) from Helios
Timothy C. Takach
Look at him.
Just look at him.
Smug and fat, pompous, preening,
Rolling about in bedsheets
Of orange and scarlet satin,
Surrounded by his paramours--
Io and Europa,
Iocaste and Eurydome,
Leda, Adrastea,
Callisto, Themisto— [Even S-2010-J2, that slut!]
So many I can’t even count
Or care to remember.
And yet, I do remember.
Look at him.
He cares little for my honor,
Even less for my feelings.
I am his lover! His wife! His queen!
And yet no planet wanders named for me!
No stately Juno to glide about the sun,
Wrapped in swirling clouds of rose and silver grey…
Alas, that is not to be,
For Jove takes all.
Attracts all.
Rules all.
But I am Juno,
Mighty Queen of gods and men,
And I demand my due!
I shall be a tempest,
Red and roiling like an angry sore,
Digging into his tender side--
A bright red spot to spoil his splendor,
A reminder of the ageless rage
Of a wife betrayed.
So, look at him!
All who gaze at him,
From now until the ending of the worlds,
Shall see only me!
– Charles Anthony Silvestri
– Commissioned for Helios
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
- Mark Tiede and St. John's Lutheran Church (Minneapolis)
- Peace Lutheran Church (Bloomington, MN)
- Kate Vishneski
- Jamie Marshall
- Emma Plehal
- Bea Rendón
- Ian Cook