Into Orbit

I love that this is the first set to be launched here, because it’s a really special one.

Back in 2023 at Keys, we decided to shake up the usual exam-based academy recitals and instead create themed concerts. “Space” — or Beyond the Stars, as it became known — was my first choice of topic. I’m the kind of person who listens to physics podcasts at bedtime, and I have a slightly unhealthy attachment to Brian Cox, so it felt inevitable really.

The theme turned out to be a huge hit with the children too, becoming one of the most popular recital choices that year (although eventually defeated by the game-themed concert — naturally).

What surprised me, though, was how little suitable repertoire there actually was. Unlike landscapes, seasons or animals — themes composers have explored for centuries — “space” is still relatively new territory in human imagination. We simply haven’t understood the universe in the way we do now for very long at all. Before long, teachers were running out of planet, star and rocket-inspired music to give their students and the question “Do want a planet?” had become an almost daily question! What began as one small piece to “fill a gap” quickly snowballed into an entire solar system.

Most of the set was written very specifically with children in mind, which is why so many of the pieces carry dedications. My own son, Reuben, immediately claimed Mercury after hearing me experiment with it at the piano, while Jupiter was written intentionally for Ruby, who has since gone on to record the entire set beautifully. A special mention must also go to Vincent, who was just eleven at the time. He performed Life Force at the recital, despite the slight complication that I was still writing it.

Most of the planets were performed at the Beyond the Stars recital in November 2023, with only Saturn and Uranus being completed later.

In many ways, this set felt unusually natural to write. I’ve always been drawn towards atmospheric, colourful music, and space seemed to invite exactly that kind of sound world. My aim was to create pieces that older children and teenagers would genuinely connect with, whilst still being accessible enough to sit comfortably under the hands. I wanted music that felt cinematic without becoming overcomplicated, enabling performers to create drama without excessive technical demands.

The artwork for this was so much fun that I was banished to outside, where lines of white acrylic pain can still be found on the patio, much to the frustration of my long-suffering husband.

You can find the Orbit set in the online shop, and the recording on YouTube here.