Tue, Apr 12, 2011
Cady Coleman, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Play "Bourree"
Harmony reached new heights recently as NASA astronaut Cady
Coleman, circling Earth aboard the International Space Station, and
musician Ian Anderson, founder of the rock band Jethro Tull,
collaborated for the first space-Earth duet.
Catherine "Cady" Coleman
Coleman, an amateur flutist, and Anderson played a portion of
the song "Bourree," an arrangement of which Anderson and Jethro
Tull performed during their 1969 U.S. tour as Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon. Coleman played her part from 220
miles above Earth late last week. Anderson played his part while on
tour in Perm, Russia, during the weekend. The two parts were then
joined.
Coleman and Anderson's performance saluted 50 years of human
spaceflight and the anniversary of the first launch of a human to
space. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed that milestone on April 12,
1961. "Thanks Col. Catherine Coleman in the International Space
Station," Anderson said following the performance. "We should
remember that today's cosmonauts, scientists and astronauts are
still every bit the rocket heroes they were 50 years ago."
Image Courtesy NASA
Coleman is an avid fan of Anderson's and carried one of his
flutes with her for a six-month stay aboard the station, along with
her own instrument. She also carried a penny whistle and Irish
flute from members of the musical group The Chieftans. "It is
really different to play up here," Coleman said earlier during her
stay on the station. "I've been having the nicest time up in our
cupola. I float around in there. A lot of the times I play with my
eyes closed."
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