Jerram’s large-scale sculpture, Gaia, brings the whole world into view, inviting us to contemplate our relationship with the Earth – to slow down, to reflect, to be mindful.

Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from detailed NASA imagery, Gaia allows us to experience what’s known as the ‘overview effect’: that feeling of utter awe astronauts have said they feel when viewing Earth from space.

This sense of wonder is magnified by a performance of Eternity in an Hour, composed and conducted by the world-renowned, Grammy Award-winning Eric Whitacre. Blending the beauty of the choral voices of the Eric Whitacre Singers with cello and electronics, the piece becomes a spellbinding musical meditation.

Time seems to melt away as you are bathed in the glow of Gaia, suspended above the performers on the Royal Festival Hall stage, looking upon the beauty of the world and hearing the choral splendour.

For Whitacre, the poet William Blake best describes this ‘elusive state where past and future cease to exist and all that remains is a profound sense of wonder in even the most ordinary objects.’

‘To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.’
From ‘Auguries of Innocence’ by William Blake (1757 – 1827)

‘My hope with Eternity in an Hour is that the music will help the listener (and the performers and, candidly, me) experience a little bit of that awe and timelessness.’

Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation, whose ‘luminous and intensely beautiful music has captivated audiences across the globe.’ (BBC)

Created in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Bluedot and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres.