NASA-inspired music to touch down in Cork
An out of this world performance inspired by the Voyager Golden Record which was launched into space in the ‘70s is coming to Cork next month.
Launched on 5 September 1977 aboard NASA’s voyager 1 space mission, the 12 inch gold-plated copper phonograph record contains greetings, images, and music, as well as instructions as to how to play the record if found.
Voyager 1 will have travelled further than any other manmade object on 18 November.
On 4 December, contemporary music collective Elevation Ensemble will bring its multimedia music performance ‘The Pale Blue Dot’ to Triskel Arts Centre where audiences will enjoy live music inspired by the record along with re-imaginings of the music from the record itself.
The show combines contemporary Irish music with musical traditions from Japan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Benin, exploring the sounds and stories that represent life on Earth.
Elevation Ensemble artistic director, Karen Dervan, said: “For 65 minutes, you'll be lost in space, listening to beautiful, evocative music, learning about the Voyager space mission, and absorbing stunning cosmic imagery that will make you contemplate the vastness of our universe - in a good way!”
Performed by violin, viola, cello, double bass, and electronics, the concert moves between contemporary composition and musical traditions from across the globe, reflecting the diversity of sounds that NASA chose to represent humanity in 1977.
The live music performance will feature live visuals creating an immersive experience while Brendan Owens, astronomer emeritus of the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, provides the astronomical context and narration.
Mr Dervan said: “We really want people to be inspired by this show to go and listen to all of the music that was put on the record. Carl Sagan and his team were so full of hope and optimism when they made this record - maybe we need to all reconnect with that hope and sense of endless possibility.”
Alongside the concert, Elevation Ensemble is inviting the public to contribute to its ‘What Would You Send?’ campaign, which asks a simple question: if you could send something into space to represent life on Earth today, what would it be?
Inspired by the Golden Record, Elevation Ensemble is collecting music, photographs, drawings, poetry, sounds, and other creative submissions to create a new public time capsule.
It’s free to submit and submissions are open until the end of 2026, and everyone who takes part will receive a link to explore the completed collection on 20 August 2027.