Monday, Jan 2, 2017
As part of its program 鈥淎 Thousand Years to Live,鈥 Westminster Choir explores the earth from the dark of space on Christmas Eve 1968, as it performs 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 beautiful鈥 from Kile Smith鈥檚 The Consolation of Apollo. This complex and multi-layered work takes its text from the conversation of the Apollo 8 astronauts as they turn their craft and see the earth for the first time:
Borman: How鈥檚 that steam pressure, Bill?
Anders: Good.
Lovell: Frank.
Anders: It isn鈥檛 even boiling yet. Yes, we just started.
Borman: Here it comes!
Anders: Okay.
Borman: Oh boy!
Lovell: Get a good shot of her?
Borman: Yes, see it?
Lovell: Well, keep the camera there. Keep the camera.
Anders: Here it comes. Here it comes. But you鈥檙e not on yet.
You got it . . . you got to do something. Pitch up or yaw.
Borman: Yaw right?
Anders: Yaw right.
Lovell: Oh, Jesus . . . Houston, Apollo 8.
Anders: Roll her a little e bit. Roll her a little bit to the . . . to the right.
Lovell: Here, you want me to fly it just to coma a鈥
Anders: That one鈥檚 got it, the roll. Yes, yes. It鈥檚 the roll that鈥檚 got it.
Roll right, if you can.
Lovell: We鈥檙e rolling
Anders: Come on, gang.
Lovell: We鈥檙e going to radial out. Are we鈥ou got her coming up?
You see her, Frank?
Borman: Yes, it鈥檚 beautiful.
about Kile Smith's The Consolation of Apollo