Christmas Lecture | An Odyssey of Music and Nature

This is an in-person event only. There is no live stream.

The talk will be followed by a performance and drinks reception in our historic library, where a paid bar will be available.

Nature has always been a profound source of inspiration for composers across cultures and genres—from the birdsong imitations of classical composers like Beethoven and Messiaen, to the cyclical rhythms of West African drumming and the elemental chants of Indigenous traditions. Natural sounds—wind, water, animal calls—have shaped musical vocabulary, inviting us to express and respond to the world around us in sound.

Yet we live in a time where we often feel disconnected from nature, can music help us restore that connection? For our 2025 Christmas lecture, composer Pete Wyer will explore how nature inspires composers, and how our own physiology connects us to music.

The event will include a very special performance of Pete's composition Mannaz , reimagined for an intimate library setting, with 16 hidden speakers tucked among the shelves, creating a uniquely immersive experience.

Pete's inspiration for Mannaz was Professor Shigeru Miyagawa’s integration hypothesis—the idea, shared by Darwin, that human speech partly evolved from birdsong. He created a choral work for 72 voices. Each voice transcribes a different birdsong or bird-sound, played back. Over time, these disparate “bird voices” merge into a single melody and harmony. The title, from ancient Norse, can mean “human” or “human harmony with the divine.”

Pete Wyer is a self-taught British composer. His work includes scores for the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Juilliard, Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, BBC, WNYC, and many others. He pioneered “Time Structured Mapping,” enabling guided improvisation across media, used in projects like Insomnia Poems for BBC Radio 3. Since 2016 he has specialised in immersive installations that use up to 72 speakers for 72 human voices, creating a unique scoring system along the way.

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Concessions

Please buy the concession ticket if you are any of the below:

• 65 years of age, or over
• Under 26 years of age
• Currently in receipt of UK government benefit (including, but not limited to, Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit).
• Currently in full-time education.

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This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society of London on Piccadilly, London, only. There will be a recording, which will be uploaded to our later.

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