'Music from the Genome': Choir to sing their own genes
9 July 2010
Music from the Genome
The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE
Tickets are £12
Contact Sophie Baettig to book on 020 7290 3919 or
sophie.baettig@rsm.ac.uk
The event takes its title from a Wellcome Trust-funded project of the same name, which brings together the new composition 'Allele' with a piece of original scientific research - an investigation into the genetic determinants of musical ability.
Preliminary results from the study will be announced at the event at the RSM and may support the idea that musical ability depends in part on differences in brain biochemistry that are hardwired in our genes.
Dr Andrew Morley, director of the project and a consultant anaesthetist at St Thomas' Hospital, said, "Both parts of the project directly address genetic complexity. The music is stunning because of this but, correspondingly, those looking for a simple answer to the question 'what makes us musical?' will be disappointed. The genetics are so much more complicated than a single 'musical gene'. What is already apparent, though, is that genetic polymorphisms influencing our musicality may also affect aspects of our personality, specifically our altruistic tendencies."
Dr Morley has compared DNA samples from 250 choral singers, including the NLCC themselves, with those of 250 non-musicians. In creating 'Allele', composer Michael Zev Gordon has used the data from the 41 members of the NLCC to generate unique musical material for each singer's part in the new work, so that in effect each will perform a musical version of part of his or her own genetic code.
Michael Zev Gordon said: "The work takes strands of genetic code, turning the varying order of the four constituent 'DNA bases' into musical patterns. Most of the human genome is common to us all, but at certain points in the sequence there are tiny variants which may lead to our individual characteristics - including musicality. These crucial variants of genes are called 'alleles', hence the title." The composition also uses the fundamental principle of natural proportionality - the Fibonacci sequence.
Ruth Padel, acclaimed poet and author, wrote the text. She too uses proportionality in her chosen poetic form, and reflects upon these 'tiniest' of differences in each of us.
Also speaking at the event will be the renowned Professor Marcus du Sautoy, from the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, who will discuss how science feeds the arts.
Image: Sheet music. Credit: Jon... in 3D on Flickr
