Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson to Perform Duet With Astronaut

Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson is set to perform a duet with an astronaut as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight.

US astronaut Catherine Coleman will play the flute on the International Space Station on Tuesday (12 April) whilst Anderson joins her via video link on stage at a solo concert in Russia.

The pair are set to take on Tull's 1969 instrumental track 'Bouree' and Coleman is said to have been practising for "weeks," according to The Guardian, trying to perfect Anderson's famed one-legged flute soloing.

The out-of-this-world performance -- celebrating Yuri Gagarin's inaugural space flight in 1961 -- is said to have been engineered through mutual friend Dayna Steele, with the former radio DJ telling AOL News that it was indeed Coleman's idea in the first place.

Steele said, "Kate thought it would be fun to do a duet in space and asked me if I knew how to get in touch with Ian since I've been part of that world. So I tracked him down."

Steele however admits there might be some difficulties involved. "I imagine playing music together might be tough," she added. "There is usually a four-second delay when you're talking to someone from the space station. It's a challenge trying to talk with someone."

Watch Jethro Tull Perform 'Bouree'