Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

The rare metal asteroid known as 16 Psyche lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Named after the ancient Greek Goddess of the soul by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1852, Psyche was the 16th asteroid to be discovered.

On October 12th 2023, NASA launched a 3.6 billion km, 6 year mission to Psyche in the hope of providing a window into the evolution of the solar system and to examine its mysterious metallic exterior (the ore of which is thought to be valued at around $10 quintillion.)

The concerto is an imaginary fantasy which uses the idea of the NASA expedition as a departure point with which to explore a dialogue between trumpet and chamber orchestra.

I. Goddess of the Soul

Opening with a gentle slow moving elegy, the 1st movement is a token of remembrance for Paul Goodchild, principal trumpeter with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 1979 to 2021. Written the day of Paul's funeral in April 2022, the solo is played offstage thereby conjuring an elusive and other worldly presence.

II. Launch

The NASA launch of the Psyche mission is reimagined here in musical form, offering a brief, intense burst of driving energy and pulsing 5/8 rhythms that support an agile trumpet solo characterised by rapid fire articulated note groupings & dexterous flourishes.

III. Mars Gravity Assist

Appearing to be suspended in space (despite travelling at 21,000 kph), the craft is tentatively pulled toward Mars where, using the red planets gravity to swing itself toward the outer part of the main asteroid belt, it gathers momentum and continues its journey toward Psyche's orbit.

IV. Arrival

Depicting the safe arrival of the NASA spacecraft, the upbeat finale is based on a series of typical "clarion call" trumpet motifs that are teased and exchanged between soloist and orchestra in a playful dialogue. The forward momentum of the music is driven by the use of strong displaced accents and irregular time signatures.

Work Details

Year: 2023

Instrumentation: Solo trumpet, piano, percussion, strings (5.4.3.3.1).

Duration: 20 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Contents note: I. Goddess of the Soul  -- II. Launch  -- III. Mars Gravity Assist  -- IV. Arrival.

Commission note: Commissioned by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

Psyche was co-commissioned by the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra [soloist Owen Morris] and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra [soloist Brent Grapes] and is a reworking and development of "Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra" which was commissioned for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and soloist Brent Grapes by Geoff Stearn and Janet Holmes á Court AC.