Tuesday 21st January 2025, 7pm, Sibson Lecture Theatre 3
Christopher Wiley (University of Surrey)
In this talk, I explore some of the many connections between music and space, First, I discuss famous examples of people who have been interested in both space and music, including several contemporaries as well as Gustav Holst (The Planets), William Herschel (discovered Uranus), and Johannes Kepler (the music of the spheres). Second, I look at some of the music that has been sent to and from space, both recent broadcasts (live and recorded) as well as the contents of Voyager’s Golden Records. Finally, I investigate composers’ representations of space through some of the most recognisable musical themes in the history of film and television, including Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. In the course of this talk, I perform music by Herschel and demonstrate the theremin, an electronic musical instrument commonly associated with the creation of otherworldly sounds.
About the speaker
Chris is head of music and media at the University of Surrey. While a musician by profession, he has an ongoing collaboration with the IOP, with past events including a workshop on the science of musical instruments and providing music for the PLANCKS physics competition in Surrey.
The talk is free and open to all. Doors open about half an hour before the talk begins.
For directions to the lecture theatre, see here.