VOYAGER

SATB choir w/divisi, 8' (2020)

In 1977, two robotic probes named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched into space. The trajectory of the probes used gravitational assists from the alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to propel them efficiently through our solar system and beyond. The probes have provided scientists on Earth with a wealth of data and observations, including discoveries of active volcanoes on Jupiter and detailed information about the rings of Saturn. As of November 5th, 2018, both probes have entered interstellar space. At the time of the completion of this work, some systems are no longer functioning, but the probes continue to transmit useful data to Earth about this region of space between stars. They are expected to lose sufficient power to operate any scientific instrumentation by 2025. 

Each probe carries a “Golden Record” – a phonograph system with a record containing various greetings in fifty-five world languages, messages from the United Nations, and a selection of music from around the world. These recordings were intended to give greetings and introduce human culture to any extra-terrestrial beings which the probes might encounter. The first musical track on the Golden Record is the first movement of J. S. Bach’s second Brandenburg Concerto. 

Inspired by the Voyager probes, their missions of exploration and discovery, and their potential as ambassadors of humanity, this piece is a choral reflection on this Brandenburg Concerto movement. The constant motion and florid lines in Bach’s work reflect the never-ending journeys of the probes. The texts in this piece were taken from the greetings in various languages on the Golden Record, personifying the good will and curiosity of humankind toward the rest of the universe represented by the Voyager mission.