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Over 10 days in December 1995, the Hubble Space Telescope recorded a series of images in a small area of the constellation Ursa Major. The Hubble Deep Field, as the region is now known, contains traces of around 3,000 distinct galaxies, among the oldest and most distant yet observed, projecting the early universe.

‘My goal was to see just how far I can stretch the concept of time and expectation while bringing the audience along on the journey,’ Whitacre notes. Deep Field seeks the active involvement of its audience, inviting listeners to ‘play’ music downloaded to a smartphone app. Deployed in the score’s gentle closing pages it is intended to ‘create a delicate, shimmering sound in the concert hall, extending the music onstage into the audience.’