Originally from Assagao, Goan opera singer Oscar Castellino has done it again. After his first composition was named ‘Mars Anthem’ by the Mars Society, Oscar again collaborated with Dr Robert Zubrin, the president of the Mars Society, the world’s largest and most influential advocacy organisation dedicated to the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars, for a new composition. Oscar will debut the new composition ‘Mars Pensiero’ at the upcoming 2024 International Mars Society Convention on August 10 that will be held at the University of Washington Seattle. The Stuti Choral Ensemble and String Orchestra from Goa, India have collaborated with the Mars Society to record the piece under the baton of Maestro Parvesh Java.
When Oscar moved to Mumbai at the age of 17 to study Physics at the St Xavier’s College, little did he know that one day, he will compose not one but two songs for the Mars Society. “It would only be a dream if you told me in 2011 that I’ll be singing or presented as one of the panel, as guests of the Mars Society conference. We will be on Mars and we look back at these times as the first, as the people who were the first explorers and it’s very a big honour for me to be able to inspire the pioneers of Mars exploration. For me to one day travel to Mars would be incredible because it will be an experience of a lifetime and a turning point in our civilisation to travel to Mars and therefore, it inspired me to create music for Mars.” says Oscar, who wrote his first song ‘Rise to Mars’ in 2017 and was performed at the Mars Society’s 20th Annual Convention.
Oscar is an alumnus of the prestigious Royal College of Music, London and sang for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the river Thames in 2012. Oscar was a student of physics and computer science and space always enthralled him. In 2017, it was a big honour and a surprise for him that his composition was selected to be Mars Anthem and he performed in front of astronauts, space scientists, aerospace engineers, people who are at the forefront of their science endeavour.
For both the compositions, Dr Robert Zubrin approached Oscar andand they composed the lyrics. “Dr Robert Zubrin is a very renowned space scientist and a great proponent for the cause for Mars exploration. I first saw him in a documentary called ‘Mars Underground’ and it was a very inspirational documentary. He is somebody who
is not only a scientist but he is also like a performer, the way he inspires people with his talks and lectures and it is very interesting that the two of us have worked on the lyrics seamlessly and we seem to complement each other,”
explains Oscar.
He further adds, “We sit together and he comes up with one line, I come up with the next one, he comes up with an idea and I put it into words. We have had one sitting over a few hours and we’ve been able to complete the lyrics for both the songs, once in 2017 and now in 2024.”
The new composition has been a brainchild of Dr Robert and he mentioned it to Oscar. Dr Robert was inspired by the music of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi a song from an opera called Nubucco, the chorus of the Hebrew slaves. That tune inspired him and he felt that tune can inspire people to travel to Mars. However, it was not easy because they wanted to write it in English and the music of Verdi is typically Italian. Dr Robert had a debate with Dr Martin Rees at the Planetary Society, in London earlier this year which Oscar attended. “I got inspired for new words of ‘Mars Pensiero’ and it just took me two days after the talk to write down the words. Within a week, after a sitting with Dr Robert, we had the new composition,” elaborates Oscar.
In Goa, Stuti Choral Ensemble, Goa was founded in February 2009, as a group of singers, professionals in various fields bound together by the love for choral music. Parvesh Java had his first concert with Goa String Orchestra in March 2015 and Stuti Choral Ensemble in November 2015. Now conducted by Parvesh, Stuti Choral Ensemble and String Orchestra, has a new feather in their cap.
“Goa is rich in musical talent and we are lucky to have many choirs performing at a high level. For the past two years we have been collaborating after Parvesh Java has taken this orchestra and choir to another level. When I first came to perform the Messiah, two years ago, I was surprised by the quality, the standard of singing and the musicians and orchestra. I told Parvesh, whenever he wanted, I would come to sing with the Stuti Choral Ensemble. I have done Messiah, Brahms Requiem and this time, I am coming in November and we have a special treat for Goa, where I will joining and singing as a soloist for the Stuti and I cannot wait as it is an even bigger movement of good singing and playing that Stuti has fore fronted in Goa,” says Oscar.
What made him select Stuti Choral Ensemble and String Orchestra for this collaboration? “After performing with Stuti at the Messiah and Brahm Requiem, I thought the sound they create with the chorus and orchestra and because they work together so frequently, they have this unifying sound that I needed for ‘Mars Pensiero’. I got in touch with Parvesh and I knew he could get the forces together for this journey,” he says.
More than 100 members of Stuti Choral Ensemble and String Orchestra including 18 instrumentalists have performed this piece together. The performance was recorded in Goa with the chorus, orchestra and conductor and Oscar will join them virtually in Seattle. Parvesh says, “Everyone is definitely excited to have this opportunity to be heard at an international platform and especially the thrill of being present at the intersection of space science and choral music.”
Oscar explains, “Everybody will see this performance on the big screen and then I will join them for the performance as a soloist, live in Seattle. I will be honoured to sing along with them for the world premiere.”
Oscar will be the only soloist performing for the musical evening at the International Mars Society Convention. The audience will include Mars programme legends like Alan Stern, a legendary Pluto explorer, who will be giving a talk before the musical performance, Tiffany Morgan, deputy director, Mars Exploration Program, NASA, Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, deputy director, Mars Sample Return, NASA and Dr Patrick Chai, Deputy Mars Architecture Lead, Strategy & Architecture Office, NASA. “This time, it will be even more exciting than 2017 because science and technology for Mars has increased by leaps and bounds. There will be a lot of debates and discussions at the Mars convention and people will listen to this piece which is very different from what they are usually doing. Ill be given the honour to lead this performance live in Seattle. I will be holding the dreams of the people who have worked for many years for space science,” says Oscar.
To conclude, Oscar share how it feels to bring Goa into the limelight for such a momentous occasion, “It feels great when I speak to people in the space community and tell them about Goa, its rich heritage, its talent and musical traditions. They are excited to hear the sound of Goa in the form of this new composition. It’s worthy that Goa with its lasting musical traditions contributes music to this frontier of science and therefore it is a fitting occasion and an international stage to showcasing a choir and orchestra from Goa making the sound that is of the highest standard and quality.”
