Moon Saturn Jupiter
for solo flute (2020)
duration: 4’
GRT • 225
score available from
Australian Music Centre
program note
This flute solo was commissioned by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for their Principal Flautist, Teresa Rabe, as part of their Australian Miniseries.
On 3 August 2020, the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter all came into alignment in Melbourne’s evening skies. I walked out the back door, looked up and there they were in plain sight. It’s an unusual formation and a distinct event for general public to experience. There’s a common expression – ‘when Saturn is in line with Jupiter’ metaphorically suggesting something improbable that will either never (or rarely) take place. Of course Saturn is actually always in line with Jupiter – it’s just a line between two points. But throw Earth’s mysterious Moon into the equation and alignment really is rare. This flute solo was written in contemplation of that alignment while under stage 4 curfew restrictions in Melbourne. We can’t walk out the front gate after 8pm – but we can still look up into the evening sky and marvel at the Universe.