You might well ask what the floaty, high-falutin' title is in aid of. In short, it's a multi-media collaboration between Keith Johnson (music) and Sarah Carne (images), resulting from a venture known as the Pulsar Project.
Featuring members of the BT Scottish Ensemble, the performance traces the transit of a pulsar travelling from east to west across the UK. For the benefit of those who didn't get further than the Ladybird book of astronomy, a pulsar is the rotating remnant of a supernova. That's cleared that up, then.
Did I leave the performance feeling at one with the universe? Er, not exactly. The beauty and awe conveyed by the title didn't strike home to any great degree; nor was there a special insight into the essence of what a pulsar is, what it does, or what it might feel like to be a pulsar.
Depictions of the birth and subsequent emissions of the pulsars unfolded on three video screens, beginning with a whirling scene of a roundabout in a child's playground. Other scenes included three faces looking at the pulsar (presumably), and a sort of celestial firework display in monochrome.
The musicians, conducted by Steven Lloyd, chimed in with a variety of ghostly emanations, to accompany the electronics and sounds of deep space. In theory, the foundations for an atmospheric experience had been laid.
In practice, the performance seemed like a long 47 minutes, even allowing for the partial re-run that resulted from a technical hitch. For those who wish to boldly go, there's a second performance today at 8 pm, also in the Tramway.
Bring your own cushion if desired.
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