for 12-part chorus a cappella

Approximate Duration 7'

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Eons from now, a lost satellite floats in the Magallanic Cloud (Nubeculae Magallani), a group of dwarf galaxies. The satellite picks up a glimpse of ancient light from Earth. The light is old because it has been traveling for so long, and it reveals a look into Earth’s distant past. Focusing its telescope, this robotic observer witnesses the Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) chanting to the Magallanic Cloud, which appears as a cluster of stars when seen from Earth’s surface. They invoke the power of the stars to bring bountiful food:

Distant future meets distant past in this brief moment. Then the telescope retracts, the satellite floats on, and the Maori leave their vegetable shoots in thanks.