The meld of music and science is set to propel the audience to space at the First Metropolitan United Church later this month.

The evening blasts off with organist Jenny Vincent performing music such as 2001, A Space Odyssey, alongside visuals of a rocket-launch and a running commentary by CBCB次元官网网址檚 Quirks and Quarks radio host and science journalist Bob McDonald.

B次元官网网址淭he slideshow we have with it is really interesting because itB次元官网网址檚 about the expanding universe,B次元官网网址� Vincent said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 interesting, with a nice variety of music interspersed with Bob talking. He just ties it right into what IB次元官网网址檓 playing.B次元官网网址�

McDonald aims for B次元官网网址渁we inspiringB次元官网网址� then segues to VincentB次元官网网址檚 inspired organ pieces correlated to his talking notes. For example heB次元官网网址檒l talk of Jupiter, the largest of the planets, so big 1,000 Earths could fit, but the whole thing is made of gas.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 violent and has storms the size of EarthB次元官网网址� lightening bolts the size of Asia,B次元官网网址� McDonald said, already enthused about sharing the knowledge. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a raging plant that is almost a star.B次元官网网址�

Then Vincent, artistic director for organWORX, pipes in with a Gustav Holst piece titled for the planet.

B次元官网网址淚t captures the essence of Jupiter,B次元官网网址� McDonald said.

The pair moves through planets with his unscripted words.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just my own awe. Being a science journalist for as long I have and witnessing the exploration of space as long as I have I get gobsmacked by it. So I just try to give my impression of it. I feel like IB次元官网网址檝e been to Jupiter and been to Mars,B次元官网网址� he said.

Vincent initiated the idea with McDonald in a bid to reinvigorate organ music among the masses. Along the way, sheB次元官网网址檚 learned a bit about the music as well.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 always looking for new ideas. IB次元官网网址檓 not the organist who sticks to certain music,B次元官网网址� she said. This project spurred her to discover new composers such as Bruce Lazarus whose Orion Nebula or Richard Felciano and his God of the Expanding Universe. Both appear in the program.

The Victoria show is a tweaked performance after a successful show in Parksville recently.

B次元官网网址淧eople said it was almost a spiritual experience because they felt they were taken out into the cosmos,B次元官网网址� McDonald said. B次元官网网址淲e found the first time everything was really big and heavy, because the universe is big and heavy. We changed a bit to shorten some pieces and lighten up the mood.B次元官网网址�

It also achieved VincentB次元官网网址檚 goal shifting organ music back into the mainstream.

B次元官网网址淭his way itB次元官网网址檚 an easy way to bring it across to (an audience). It was interesting after the concert, I thought theyB次元官网网址檇 be talking all about Bob and so many were talking about how they didnB次元官网网址檛 know the organ could do all this,B次元官网网址� Vincent said.

McDonald loves to share the wonder of science beyond formulas and mathematics.

B次元官网网址淲henever art and science come together it can be beautiful. IB次元官网网址檝e always been a big fan of that,B次元官网网址� McDonald said.

The pair is already planning next yearB次元官网网址檚 feature concert, exploring the elements earth, water, air and fire.

Vincent and McDonald present Cosmic Odyssey on April 28 at 7 p.m. at First Metropolitan United Church, 932 Balmoral Rd., Victoria.

Tickets are $35 available at MunroB次元官网网址檚 Books, IvyB次元官网网址檚 Bookshop, TannerB次元官网网址檚 Books, and the McPherson box office, rmts.bc.ca and 250-386-6121.