The Overview Effect is the term used to describe the cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often when viewing the Earth from outer space.

“The thing that really surprised me was that the Earth projected an air of fragility. And why, I don’t know…I had a feeling it’s tiny, it’s shiny, it’s beautiful, it’s home and it’s fragile.”

							Michael Collins - Apollo 11

“For me it was an epiphany in slow motion. From space, the planet is a constantly changing masterpiece and the sheer beauty is absolutely breathtaking. It looks like a jewel and you realise it is home to everyone who ever lived and everyone who will ever be. What hit me was a sobering contradiction between the beauty of our planet and the unfortunate realities of life on our planet.”

							Ron Garan - Former NASA astronaut

Scientists are trying to reproduce this intense emotional experience on Earth using flotation tanks, Epsom salts and VR headsets. They plan to monitor the effects on participants personal values and behaviours, especially regarding the environment. They hope to “wake people up” to the damage being done to the planet and encourage people to live more harmoniously.

'The Overview Effect' for Violin And Electronics

'Rant' is a great word which has several meanings across Scotland. First and foremost, it is a type of traditional tune that is used in country dancing, usually characterised as being slightly slower than a reel with more emphasis on the downbeats. However in the Scots language, ranting can also mean “to romp, roister, make merry or indulge in boisterous fun.” Although, perhaps more widely and more commonly, rant can also be used to describe speaking in a “bombastic and impassioned way.” With this piece, I wanted to squeeze as many notes and as much energy as possible into 3 minutes and ranting (in whatever sense of the word) seemed like the perfect way to do it!

RANT(excerpt)performed by Britten Sinfonia

Percussion Concerto (Movement II) by Aileen Sweeney performed by Owen Gunnell and Britten Sinfonia. Premiered 15.10.22 at St Giles Cripplegate, London

Percussion Concerto (Movement II)

The most distant star ever seen has been captured by the Hubble telescope. Light from this single star has travelled an estimated 12.9 billion years to reach Earth. It is estimated to be at least 50 times the size of our sun and millions of times as bright. Although scientists on Earth can now see its light, the star itself certainly no longer exists.
The star has been named Earendel which comes from Old English meaning “the morning star.” Earendel emitted its light remarkably close to the cosmic dawn - the epoch when the first stars ignited and galaxies began to form. It may be the only star from this epoch that we will ever see.

Cosmic Dawn (live)

Through getting to know the choir, it became very clear that the theme of community, reconnection and togetherness was really important to the group and should be the main focus of the piece. I spent a great deal of time looking for text that related to the theme before thinking, who better to write text about coming together as a choir, than The Edinburgh Singers themselves! So, I invited the choir to send me as many quotes as they liked from their favourite poems and songs as well as writing lines themselves which I could then collage into the one piece of text, written by the choir collectively. I was overwhelmed with so many amazing suggestions from such a wide variety of influences, but I finally managed to narrow the quotes down and compile the different snippets of text into poem below.

When…							
When all this is over -					
I will sit quietly; surrounded by friends,		
and just watch them, listen to them,
happy just to see them smile.			
How I wish you were here,					
in this uncertain hour.						
This hard year’s winter, froze our voices,	 		
but now, the singing will never be over.         				
Enveloped by voices, reunited by harmony;						 
in the company of other souls,	             			
we’ll feel our voices blend. 				
We will no longer sing into the silence.

We Will No Longer Sing into the Silence

Views from the M9 (excerpt)

Aileen Sweeney - Views from the M9 - Live recording

Studies have shown there are links between Facebook usage and depression. Users only tend to share high points in their lives such as engagements, new cars or
expensive holidays. People generally choose to completely avoid sharing their low points
in life. Facebook has also been shown to fuel narcissism. Users post pictures of themselves, usually with some sort of filter or effect, in order to create their own ideal image and gain
approval from their peers. "Fake" draws inspiration from the way in which people utilise
social media, in particular Facebook, in order to share a selected perfect view of their lives. This in turn creates a false image to others, often resulting in depression, loneliness and
low self-esteem. Despite all of this, I’m still addicted to it.

Accordion - Aileen Sweeney
Violin I - Abigail Young
Violin II - Lisa Robertson
Viola - Theodore Chung Lei
Cello - Adam Hall

"FAKE" for Accordion and String Quartet

Trees appear silent, but scientists have discovered they are communicating closely with each other. This all happens underground through a fungal network growing around and inside their roots which scientists have coined "The Wood Wide Web." Dying trees may share their resources with nearby trees to increase their chances of survival. A tree that has been attacked by a virus may release a chemical signal to warn other trees to raise their defences. However it can be used selfishly by trees such as the black walnut which spreads toxic chemicals to sabotage rivals. 
This piece takes inspiration from trees secretly sharing and communicating among themselves beneath our feet. The glissando motif is passed around the three instruments to help them work together to create small snippets of melodic cells. At the end of the piece, I have created a sound world which represents what I imagine talking trees may sound like! 

Performed by The Red Note Ensemble as part of Sound Festival October 2018.

"The Wooden Web" for Flute, Viola and Cello

Performed by The Psappha Ensemble as part of their "Composing for Violin and Cello" scheme.

"NUMB" for Violin and Cello

String quartets have long been acknowledged as one of the most prominent chamber ensembles in classical music. According to Wikipedia, "the string quartet has been considered a prestigious form and represents one of the true tests of the composers art." I had never written a string quartet before now. In the process of the "true test of my art," I started and quickly abandoned a grand total of eight string quartets before finally starting and sticking with this one, my magnum opus, my ninth string quartet.

Performed live by The Brodick Quartet, RCS PLUG Festival May 2019.

String Quartet No.9 Opus 3001

This string quartet was commissioned by The Red Note ensemble for their 2019 Spring tour of Scottish schools and community centre.

Performed live by The Red Note Ensemble, April 2019

"CEILIDH" for String Quartet

Fear a' Bhàta (translated The boatman) is a Scots Gaelic song from the late 18th century, written by Sìne NicFhionnlaigh (Jean Finlayson) of Tong who was courting a young fisherman from Uig, Dòmhnall MacRath. The song captures the emotions that she endured during their courtship.

"The Boatman" (Electroacoustic)

This string quartet was performed live on BBC Radio Scotland's "Classic's Unwrapped" by The Red Note Ensemble.

It was commissioned by The Red Note ensemble for their 2019 Spring tour of Scottish schools and community centres.

CEILIDH (Performed live on by Red Note Ensemble BBC Radio Scotland)

Siku, meaning "Sea-Ice" in Greenlandic, was written in collaboration with William Harcourt, a PhD student of glaciology at The University of St. Andrew's. 
The ice sheets are vital and act as a protective shield over the earth, reflecting excess heat into space and keeping the planet cool. The melting (calving) of these glaciers is accelerating due to global warming and is contributing to the alarming rise of sea levels worldwide.
William collected a vast range of field recordings from various scientists studying glaciers worldwide. The piece takes influence from the vast array of different sounds captured by the scientists studying the glaciers and the surrounding derelict landscapes.

Performed by Simone Seales.

"Siku" for Solo Cello

Composer | Arranger | RCS Graduate | aileensweeney.com

Aileen Sweeney

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