The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has released So Fragile, So Blue, a live recording of a 2022 Ben Folds Declassified series concert featuring legendary actor, musician, activist, and recent space traveler William Shatner and led by Principal NSO Pops Conductor Steven Reineke and NSO Artistic Advisor Ben Folds.

This album is a Digital Only release – not available on CD or SACD disc. Exclusively available from NativeDSD in Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64 and DXD 24 Bit plus Stereo DSD 512.

On October 13, 2021, Shatner became the oldest human, and only artist, to travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere after decades of famously portraying interstellar explorer, Captain James T. Kirk, on Star Trek.

In this live concert experience with the NSO—held in honor of World Earth Day in 2022—Shatner performed original spoken-word lyrics, co-written with Robert Sharenow, that chronicle his transformative journey to space and articulate his unique and profound perspective on the fragility and vulnerability of nature and our planet, arranged and set to music by Jherek Bischoff, Daniel Miller, Gabriel Witcher and Eric Allen.

William Shatner, Narration
Ben Folds, Introduction & Artistic Advisor
Steven Reineke, Conductor
National Symphony Orchestra