By Hannah Unsworth
Gorton Street Monastery,
Manchester
Manchester Camerata’s The Sounds of the Stars saw the North West’s premier experimental orchestra join together with Kantos Chamber Choir for a musical exploration of the universe. Guided by the sonorous narration of the orchestra’s own musicians, the performance traced the origins of the universe from the Big Bang up until the present age of space exploration through nine individual pieces.
What elevated the Sounds of the Stars beyond tradition was its audiovisual elements. A large screen, positioned above the orchestra, effectively transformed the monastery into a planetarium, with images of distant planets and galaxies seamlessly complimenting each musical piece. For the first song, Jonathan Dove’s Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars, Kantos sang of the universe’s birth, while evocative images of the Big Bang appeared above them. The choir’s haunting vocalists helped
foster a powerful fusion of sight and sound, enabling a form of sensory synesthesia.
Manchester Camerata and Kantos worked in perfect alignment, allowing space for one another while crafting distinct atmospheres for each piece – be it ethereal or ominous. A particular highlight was Ēriks Ešenvalds’ Stars, which spotlighted the talents of Kantos’ sopranos. Their voices, paired with the celestial imagery on the screen, created a striking sense of otherworldiness, as if immersing the audience in the stars themselves.
The Sounds of the Stars’s closing narration delivered a simple message: look up and appreciate the vastness of our universe. As the orchestra began its final piece, a lone spaceman appeared on the screen. It slowly shrank until eventually disappearing. It was a fitting conclusion to Manchester Camerata’s sonic journey through the universe – one that honoured human innovation, while reminding us of the immensity of the universe and how much remains to be explored. 