I was commissioned to produce a new version of this classic Australian song to feature as part of National Science Week's celestial event which occured at Wave Rock on August 27 2021 at one of our most unique indigenous natural rock formations located in Hyden, Western Australia.
This song was produced for a wireless headphone experience as patrons stargazed with astronomers through telescopes and viewed a striking astrophotography exhibition created by Dr John Goldsmith spectacularly displayed in light boxes in the cold evening on the rock under the stars.
John introduced himself to me after attending my screen culture event The Fantastical Films of George Melies Rescored where myself and three other local musicians composed modern music to a selection of silent short scifi and fantasy films produced in the early 1900's. The show also included a historical presentation on the birth of cinema and the films were screened inside an immersive cinema in a marquee installed inside a 115 year old theatre.
I agreed to join forces with John and collaborate on his exciting regional astrophotography project by producing a compact version of my show, somewhere.
While the song's production was formulating, we drove to Wave Rock a fortnight before the event for a site inspection to establish logistics and meet with the council.
That evening I screen tested on the surface of Wave Rock and managed to project a ten metre image across it but I wasn't happy with its texture to screen onto. After consulting the local council I was given approval to convert a tourist information hut into a makeshift cinema.
The song's production was finalized prior to the event and we travelled back to Wave Rock fully equipped the day before. Thankfully the weather cleared up which made setting up much easier plus clearer skies for stargazing is what we hoped for.
That evening the entire community turned up. Headphones were distributed with the song providing the soundtrack enhancing the experience as they engaged with the astronomers and the exhibition under the Milky Way as the heart of our galaxy passed directly above Wave Rock. After the exhibition they filled the cinema inside and out and experienced a very unique screen culture event.
This special occasion was accomplished smoothly with the combined skills and talents of a couple of well seasoned facilitators with some assistance by the Kondinin council and their welcoming community.
Released August 27, 2021
Music by Ivan Gian-Piero
Backing vocals by Paige McNaught
Mixed and mastered by Steve Callan
Original song by Steve Kilby and The Church 1988
Music video and astrophotography by Dr John Goldsmith
