SATB, piano, + chime tree

NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER

Commissioned by the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs, CO.

The English theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, and many others before and after, emphasized the importance of space exploration - contending that gaining understanding of the cosmos leads to solutions for challenges on Earth.

This work celebrates the Milky Way galaxy, with notable constellations like Orion (a distinctive “belt” of three bright stars), Ursa Major (the “Great Bear” and contains the Big Dipper asterism), and Gemini (meaning “twins” in Latin and located in the northern celestial hemisphere). CONSTELLATION's shifting tonalities underscore the myriad of cosmic colors, while the constant note reiteration symbolizes the incessant shimmering of comets ablaze in a symphony of night and light.

TEXT

Where radiant stars shine diamond bright,
Let creation sing in pure delight.
A celestial dance, etch'd in air,
Circling, whirling, a ballet without compare.

Orion's Belt, the ancient river of light,
And Ursa Major, bright Bear of night,
The Milky Way, a brilliant silver haze,
A starry bridge of cosmic rays.

Bright Twins of Gemini in White gold unveil,
Through darkest seas was born a timeless tale.
A celestial dance, etch'd in air,
Circling, whirling, a ballet without compare.