Custodians of the Sky is a new 45-minute work. It invites us to explore our vision of the universe, the heavens and the earth through music, poetry and video. This cosmic project highlights astronomy as conceived by Australians, presenting perceptions of constellations alongside sound recordings from numerous observation sites across Australia. It aims to connect the audience through their shared connection to space and celestial bodies, referencing different cultural interpretations of space and the stars.
The texts in Custodians of the Sky are by contemporary Australian authors. At the beginning and throughout the work, one can hear the writings of the Aboriginal astronomer Bill Yidumduma Harney and Hugh Cairns from their book Dark Sparklers. Five poems are set to music in the following order: Stars by David Malouf, Skywatchers by Margaret Bradstock, Perspective Passes over Us by Renee Pettitt-Schipp, Moon by A. Frances Johnson and The Moon via telescope by Margaret Bradstock. In addition to the fourteen instrumental parts, a fifteenth musician will perform a piece of electronic music created from sounds recorded in Australia, and subsequently designed by the computer music producer Rémi Le Taillandier. The show includes visions of the cosmos composed by the video artist Nieto.
“The work will connect all peoples through our shared connection with space and the celestial bodies. It will draw on different cultural interpretations of space and the stars.”
A work by Luke Styles
Musical direction Alphonse Cemin
Video design Nieto
Computer music production Rémi Le Taillandier de Gabory
Sound projection Pierre Favrez
Video operator Romain Tanguy
Orchestra stage manager Typhaine Potiez, Thomas Le Roux
Translation Gaspard Kiejman
Tenor Michael Smallwood
Baritone Damien Pass
Clarinet Iris Zerdoud
Oboe Stéphane Mingasson
Bassoon Julien Abbes
Horn Joël Lasry
Trumpet Matthias Champon
Trombone Maxime Morel
Percussion Akino Kamiya, François-Xavier Plancqueel
Violas Vladimir Percevic, Arianna Smith
Cellos Askar Ishangaliyev, Clotilde Lacroix
Double basses Ulysse Vigreux, Louis Siracusa
Artistic direction Maxime Pascal
Executive direction Florent Derex
Production Iris Zerdoud, Gaspard Kiejman, Koré Préaud
Intern Iona Cheniti