Boyd found Packham, professor and astrophysicist in the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy, at the new faculty orientation after spotting his JWST pin. The two discussed the concept and the project began to flourish.
“The bridge between music and astronomy is a nice, unusual approach to follow. Building these multidisciplinary bridges is something we at UTSA wants to see happen more and more,” Packham said.
Their collaboration is culminating this week in Interstellar: A Choral JWST Celebration, a concert featuring the UTSA Concert Choir, the University Chorus and the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy. Students making up the choirs will gather from various disciplines, majoring in studies outside the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts and its School of Music.
The group has been practicing a range of pieces detailing humans’ relationship with the heavens throughout time and the future of exploration. On a recent weekday, Boyd was elegantly lifting and threading his hand in the air, directing the vocal cues of the choir. Note by note, his vision of a musical interpretation of the cosmos filled the room.
At the concert, projections of selected images captured by the JWST will accompany the musical performance—creating an immersive experience for concertgoers.
Introductions will be made by special guests Nancy Levenson, interim director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, and District 4 City Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia. A walkthrough of the JWST images will be led by Packham and Desiree Garcia, founding member of The Society of Astronomy at UTSA.
“The Webb images are giving us concrete evidence of what’s happening beyond our little sphere, and the music is providing commentary about our perspective as a human race, looking up at the heavens for centuries and centuries. What’s up there? How did we get here?” Boyd explained.
The innovative choral experience will feature a selection of musical works inspired by the Webb images. A piece by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi captures how humans have always looked to the stars for answers. Frank Ticheli’s “Earth Song” explores the human relationship with the universe, delving into the downfalls of Earth caused by war and greed.
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