A SCIENTIST and a composer at Royal Holloway have teamed up to produce an opera that explores the decline in bumblebee populations.
The Silence of the Bees: A Science Opera aims to highlight the important ecological issue when it receives its world premiere at the campus on March 17.
It is the result of joint effort by composer Kelvin Thomson and Dr Mark Brown a leading bee expert and lecturer at Royal Holloway.
Based around Dr Brown's pioneering research into bees, the one-act piece looks to inspire a new generation of opera lovers.
Kelvin said: "As a composer I try to bridge gaps and fuse styles, so this is a fun opera that everyone will be able to enjoy.
"By mixing material from Dr Brown's lectures with poetry, we have shown a way in which science and art can work together and we have certainly learned from each other."
Kelvin has worked as a musical director, arranger, composer and musician in global shows such as Riverdance, The Lion King and Celtic Woman.
Dr Brown said: "While I am used to labs and delivering science lectures, this represented a completely new way of presenting my research. Scientists and artists are often viewed as working in very different ways, but creativity and the desire to communicate are universal and fusing our ideas into one has been an exciting challenge."
Tickets are £10/£5 (concessions) and can be booked online at the Royal Holloway website.
