(Image: Interstellar Duo)
Celestial sounds and storytelling lit up the night in a recent atmospheric performance in Bingley.
Interstellar Duo, made up of sisters Charlotte and Heather Sterland, enchanted audiences at the Upstairs Theatre with their signature blend of acoustic music and narrative, performing material from their Adventure 112 Acoustic album alongside newer works.
Their performance took listeners on a journey across both earthly and cosmic landscapes, telling stories set in forests, deserts, and other natural worlds, often touching on themes of space and the stars.
Benji Arnold, a musician who attended the show, said: "I have never been to Bingley before, but I heard the call of the stars.
"Amidst a prelude of storm clouds and golden light through bus windows, they were nowhere to be seen, but upon my arrival it was clear that Interstellar Duo would be my stars for the night.
"The music began: it was high and graceful, its simple tone and folky affliction reminded me of Joan Baez.
"Close harmonies were interspersed with more open, flowing sections between the violin, viola and piano.
"There is a clear story, a purpose, an art to the whole thing: from their lyrical poetry to their striking shoulder pads and patchwork jeans."
A member of Bradford Astronomical Society also praised the performance.
They said: "The music and their voices were beautiful, the way the harmonies come together.
"The references about astronomy also.
"To then come out here and see the moon and Saturn was a great end to the evening."
The sisters brought their stories to life not only through lyrics, but also through a blend of piano, violin, viola, and vocals.
They shifted instruments and arrangements throughout the set, keeping the performance dynamic and immersive.
Their songs are rooted in the Adventure 112 film series, which follows magical creatures through different environments and adventures.
The historic Upstairs Theatre, one of the oldest performance spaces in Bingley, provided an intimate and characterful backdrop for the evening.
Mr Arnold reflected on the emotional impact of the performance, adding: "We are blank space, specks of light, the audience in a room where you could hear a pin drop.
"Maybe it would float?
"They say things like, 'Dark forests are great places to see stars'.
"That's why we need more trees in cities.
"This song is called Dark Forest.
"And I am at once removed from earthly woes and remembering how I found magic in forests as a child and how all art, the truest personal, is political.
"I closed my eyes and reclined in my creaky chair to let the story take me.
"It is truly something to allow music into you in such a vulnerable state, and it is not a trust I give to all performances."