In 1903, astronomer Annie Walker left Britain for Australia. She had lost her job and her home and would never work again.
The Hidden Star project gives life to this long-forgotten pioneer in the history of women in science, the first woman in Britain to be professionally employed by an Observatory as an observational astronomer. More than just an opera, this unique project combines science, social history, contemporary music and education.
We are working with the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge (IoA), creating a new chamber opera combined with workshops for children and young people and panel discussions, introducing a remarkable and inspirational woman. We’re creating a lyrical intimate character study using contemporary words and music and asking questions about her fate that still have resonance today
Listen to the opening of the opera – Lost under the Austalian sky
Who was Annie Walker?
I am singular – Alone but not lonely.
In 1903 astronomer Annie Walker left the Cambridge Observatory where she had lived and worked for nearly 25 years. Under the mentorship of John Couch Adams, she had moved from being a computer to working as an observational astronomer. Computers were , women or boys emplored by observatories to perform the calculations underlying the work of astromers. Annie Walker appears to be the first woman to have worked as an observational astronomer, after Caroline Herschel.
However, the death of her mentor spelled disaster for Annie. She hung on till 1903, when she left the Observatory, her home and workplace, emigrating to join her family in Australia.
We know the bare outlines of Annie’s life. There are no extant photographs of her, few records outside professional notes on her work and official records. We will use poetry and music to bring to life our vision of Annie and the people around her. From fragments and fleeting insights, we have built the Annie who stands at the centre of our work, singular and self-sufficient, quiet but strong minded, intelligent, diligent and loyal.
Why this story – why now?
My view is that tenacious women like Walker opened the doors for later generations by showing women could stay up all night observing , wanted to do so and could cope with the calculations.
Tania Monteiro, Physicist
Annie Walker’s story resonates strongly today. As a perhaps unintentional pioneer of women in science she was one of the first to take a significant step into what was then the men’s world of observational astronomy. The opera and the workshops around it, show a woman who is inspirational because she is relatable and human.
Annie was not a hero scientist. She made no great discoveries or innovations, but her work underpinned everything happening at the Observatory in the 1880s and early 1890s. Her experience opens up the importance of unseen scientists, without whose work our knowledge of the universe would be poorer.
In the end, however, Annie’s work could not survive the change in management at the Observatory. As an outsider, she depended on the support of those within the system and when that support ended, it took with it everything that was important to her. The importance of sustainability in change is as relevant now, as it was when Annie faced the ruin of her career.
Who are we?
Caroline Coetzee illuminates the life of astronomer Annie Walker with eloquence, deft and beautifully-created characterisations, and a compelling story about the fates of all too many women in science
Kendra Preston Leonard, librettist, writer, playwrightOn Being Vocal is a genuine tour de force of imagination from composer Rania Chrysostomou… a half hour full of switchback changes and genuine surprise and delight.
Roger Hughill, composer
Hidden Star is conceptualised and written by Caroline Coetzee, librettist and artistic director, and composer Rania Chrysostomou, composer and musical director, working with the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.
Hidden Star - The Story of Annie Walker 