Bach, the Universe and Everything: Voice Doctor

In this episode, Dr Declan Costello talks us through the mysterious world of vocal anatomy.

If this is your first Bach, the Universe and Everything (BUE), welcome!
We like to think of the series as a community, similar to the one Bach enjoyed in Leipzig when he wrote a new cantata almost every month for the church where he worked from 1723 until his death in 1750. Then, the congregation was as open to science and new ideas as it was brought together by faith. It is in that spirit that we come together for a thought-provoking cantata and a talk from a leading expert in the field of science. In this episode, we perform Bach’s Cantata BWV 9 about healing, followed by a secular sermon from the ‘Voice Doctor’ Dr Declan Costello on the mysterious world of vocal anatomy.

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To make this recording possible, the OAE adhered to a strict protocol. Kings Place was thoroughly cleaned prior to the event and all contact surfaces likely to be encountered by personnel were cleaned with disinfectant throughout the period of work. All participants wore facemasks except for the recording and a strict floor plan with controlled corridors of movement ensured that a social distancing of 2m was maintained at all times. There was no sharing of any kind during the project and all participants washed hands or used hand sanitiser on a regular basis. All participants completed a health questionnaire confirming that they had not experienced symptoms of Covid-19 with the 14 days prior to the event and that they had not come into contact with anyone who had been diagnosed with the virus in the same period.

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In partnership with Kings Place, the Institute of Physics, and University of Oxford’s Mathematics Institute.