Numinous The Music of Joseph C. Phillips Jr. |
The Lady Who Sailed The Soul (2006)
The Lady Who Sailed The Soul (2006)
for Christian Howes and the Pulse Ensemble
(Violin solo, Clarinet/Flute, Clarinet/English Horn, Horn, Tuba, Vibraphone, Acoustic Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello)
substitutes available for woodwind doubles
12 minutes
for Christian Howes and the Pulse Ensemble
(Violin solo, Clarinet/Flute, Clarinet/English Horn, Horn, Tuba, Vibraphone, Acoustic Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello)
substitutes available for woodwind doubles
12 minutes
The composition was originally inspired by watching kites one summer afternoon in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The soaringness and elegance of motion brought my thoughts to the concept of solar sailing. Extremely large and thin membrane mirrors that reflect starlight in order to “push” a spacecraft through the cosmos, solar sails first came into popular consciousness with the 1960 novelette, "The Lady Who Sailed The Soul" by Cordwainer Smith. Although the story concerns the legendary romance of two solar sailors, Helen America and Mr. Gray-no-more, my imagination was more intrigued by the beautiful and elegant “image of the great sails, tissue-metal wings with which the bodies of people finally fluttered out among the stars.”
While solar sailing has been mostly thought of as science-fiction (most recent examples include a Bjorian ship in an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Count Doku's ship of choice in Star Wars Episode II-Attack of the Clones), space engineers have begun to seriously explore solar sails as a way to create continual propulsion for spaceships without the need for heavy and expensive fuel. In the spring of 2005, the Planetary Society co-sponsored the launch of Cosmos 1, which was to be the first test of solar sail technology. Unfortunately, the Russian-made rocket booster failed to fire and Cosmos 1 never reached orbit and the project was lost. However, plans are being made to raise money for a second launch attempt.
© 2006 Numen Music/BMI All Rights Reserved
Thanks and credit to all the original photos on this website to: David Andrako, Concrete Temple Theatre, Marcy Begian, Mark Elzey, Ed Lefkowicz, Donald Martinez, Kimberly McCollum, Geoff Ogle, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Daniel Wolf-courtesy of Roulette, Andrew Robertson, Viscena Photography, Jennifer Kang, Carolyn Wolf, Mark Elzey, Karen Wise, Numinosito. The Numinous Changing Same album design artwork by DM Stith. The Numinous The Grey Land album design and artwork by Brock Lefferts. Contact for photo credit and information on specific images.