looking out the window

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

"Concert-opener" for 20 strings composed for the Britten Sinfonia

Monkish (excerpt)

The Turn - Live With dancer Colin Dunne, Irish Chamber Orchestra

The Turn - Dance in Your Blood

Meditation for Four Human Hands - for Prepared Piano & EBow

String Trio - Chambered Cairn
Based on the ancient Orkney site of Maeshowe, an ancient burial cairn that aligns with the setting sun on the eve of the Winter solstice.

Chambered Cairn - String Trio

Paddy's Leather Breeches : Scarce O' Tatties

Performed by Nevis Ensemble, conducted by Jon Hargreaves.

commissioned by Nevis Ensemble for their inaugural tour of Scotland in August 2018.
​
The starting point for Attach was ‘Circles in a Circle’ (1923), a work by the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky. Referring to this composition, Kandinsky wrote, “The circle is the synthesis of the greatest oppositions. It combines the concentric and the excentric in a single form, and in balance." I started to think about how the communities that we all belong to are in some ways exponents of “the greatest oppositions” that Kandinsky refers to. On the one hand these small communities and their comprised individuals tend to strive for independence and may espouse a collective set of opinions, beliefs or a sense of pride. In summary, there is a desire to have their unique voices heard. On the other hand, these communities may also aspire to feel like a microcosm of society in broader terms. They may want to feel connected to neighbouring communities and ultimately feel like their voices can be aligned, strengthened and united with the voices of surrounding communities. The ebb and flow of these opposing states heavily impacted the way I thought about organising the orchestra and eventually manifested into four distinct groups of musicians. The physical spatialisation of the groups was loosely informed by ‘Circles in a Circle’, and organised to situate three chamber-sized groups within a large circle of string players. I was interested in the resultant interactions between each group’s musical material and whether they try to have their individual voices heard or contribute towards the voice of one larger entity.

Attach (for orchestra) - 2 excerpts [2018]

Commissioned by Drake Music Scotland and Hebrides Ensemble for 'Diversions' in the Queen's Hall Edinburgh. 

The work tries to create a platform where accessible music technology can simply play alongside 'traditional' orchestral instruments and stand shoulder to shoulder with the past. 

The nod to Stravinsky highlights the sentiment - a group of instruments playing together. 

The work is four movements long

I - Searching
II - Hoquetus
III - Chorale
IV - Finale

Performed by the Hebrides Ensemble and Digital Orchestra, conducted by Ben Lunn

Symphonies Of Instruments (2019)

Composer | Arranger | RCS Graduate | aileensweeney.com

'The Overview Effect' for Violin And Electronics

Aileen Sweeney

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