Instrumentation
violin, horn, piano
Availability
Score and parts in preparation
Programme Notes
December 21 2020 saw a rare astrological conjunction: Jupiter and
Saturn met in Aquarius and formed a Grand Mutation: an event that
happens every 200 years. Western astrology divides into 4
elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Over the past 200 years, every
time Jupiter and Saturn met in conjunction, they met in earth signs.
Before earth, it was the water elements that predominated. This
conjunction has not permanently occurred in an air sign for 800
years.
At the end of 2020 - a dark year for so many - this cosmic event in
the night sky captured the public imagination (some named it a
Christmas Star). The past 200 years have seen accomplishments in
building, infrastructure; the Industrial Revolution. What we owned -
status symbols - ruled much of our culture. The emphasis is now
due to shift into the realm of ideas, experiences, travel, science,
medicine, genetics, and high tech.
Grand Mutation has its origins in my solo horn piece Yoik for Horn.
A Yoik - a vocal expression of Sami culture - could be described as
not having a beginning or an ending, there’s no definitive form,
route or narrative, it circles around various ideas and sounds in an
intuitive way. This can also be said of Grand Mutation: it’s entirely
constructed from layered cyclical patterns, large and small; a
musical impression of orbiting planets and a hopeful fanfare for the
coming of a more enlightened time for our species.
TD