Concrete Playground

Written between 1914-1916 under the sway of a revival in astrology, Gustav Holst's The Planets gives (or shall we say channels?) a mood for each planet in the Solar System (excluding Earth of course, which in astrology offers no cosmic force). In a seven-movement orchestral suite Holst attempted to characterise each planet - its particular rhythm, melody and emotional disposition - so as to provide a complete composition of our psychological relationship with them. If you're a fan of the infamous music in Star Wars (composed by John Williams), Holst covered this galactic territory first; big rising surges of sound, drifting spatial ambience, heroic drama and, inevitably, some impending doom.

The Planets: A Journey in HD brings together Holst's astrological characters and marries them with recent high-definition footage from NASA probes and the Hubble Telescope. Directed by filmmaker Duncan Copp, this audio-visual spectacle is probably worth some eye-and-ear-time. Recommended reading following the event: Carl Sagan.