NYBBS performance to feature in Orkney Science Festival astronomy opener

Scottish composer Eddie McGuire’s five astronomy-inspired pieces of music have never been played before as a complete series but on the opening evening of the Orkney International Science Festival on Thursday 7 September you can hear them together – and the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland will be performing one of the pieces during this premiere occasion.

The musical experience, to celebrate the composer’s 75th birthday, will be introduced by astronomer Dr Anne-Marie Weijmans of St Andrews University. The event, entitled But Oh! The Stars with Music Shine, starts at 9pm in the Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall.

The music comes in three films by Selena S Kuzman, featuring music recordings organised by the University. First comes the film Five Stars in Auriga, with trumpeter Bede Williams playing Big Bang and Orbit, and members of the Wallace Collection performing Auriga itself where each instrument represents a star in the constellation.

The pieces of music are interwoven with stories from the Scottish Borders of lives connected by astronomy and space. Howie Firth tells of telescope maker James Veitch, astronomer and mathematician Michael Scot, scientist Mary Somerville, and writers Sir Walter Scott and John Buchan.

Then after a short break comes Earthrise, a symphonic poem for brass band, recorded by NYBBS in September 2021 in the Laidlaw Music Centre in St Andrews, and Symphonies of Galaxies performed by the University of St Andrews’ New Music Ensemble and recorded by staff and students from Fife College’s sound production courses.

On Saturday 9 September at 8pm you can hear Eddie McGuire himself, along with Bede Williams and Ewan Robertson, in conversation with Anne-Marie Weijmans at the Orkney Club, Harbour Street, Kirkwall.

Full details of these events and of the festival itself can be found here.