The Music:
Today’s cantata, Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig (Ah, how fleeting, ah how insignificant), is a cheery one about our impending death. The sense of futility is particularly well-captured in the opening chorale which feels frantic and primeval. All souls welcome.

The Science:
Can you hear the shape of a drum? If we know the shape of a drumhead, we can calculate the frequencies at which it will vibrate. But what about the opposite problem – if we know the frequencies, can we in principle determine the shape? Put another way, is it possible for two different shapes to vibrate at exactly the same frequencies?

Professor Jon Chapman will discuss these questions, and show how to generate such pairs of drums using paper folding and a pair of scissors.