7/31/2019 43561 600 Year Old Musical Code in Chapel Cracked

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600-year-old musical code in chapel cracked

Presentation by Ganesh Srinivasan; forKnowledge Exchange and not for any

commercial gainsPage 1

BEYOND DA VINCI: A tourist looks atthe cube carvings on the chapel archesat Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh

London: A Scottish church whichfeatured in the best-selling novel The

Da Vinci Code has revealed anothermystery hidden in secret code foralmost 600 years.

A father and son who becamefascinated by symbols carved into thechapels arches say they havedeciphered a musical score encrypted

in them.

Thomas Mitchell, a 75-year-old musician and ex-Royal Air Force code breaker, andhis composer and pianist son Stuart, described the piece as frozen music.

The music has been frozen in time by symbolism, Mitchell said on his Web site(www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/rosslyn.html), which details the 27-year project to crack thechapels code.

It was only a matter of time before the symbolism began to thaw out and begin tomake sense to scientific and musical perception.

The 15th Century Rosslyn Chapel, about seven miles south of the Scottish capitalEdinburgh, featured in the last part of Dan Browns The Da Vinci Code one of themost successful novels of all time which has been turned into a Hollywood film.

Stuart Mitchell said he and his father were intrigued by 13 intricately carved angelmusicians on the arches of the chapel and by 213 carved cubes depicting geometric-type patterns. They are of such exquisite detail and so beautiful that we thoughtthere must be a message here, he said.

Years of research led the Mitchells to an ancient musical system called cymatics, orChladni patterns, which are formed by sound waves at specific pitches.

The two men matched each of the patterns on the carved cubes to a Chladni pitch,and were able finally to unlock the melody.

7/31/2019 43561 600 Year Old Musical Code in Chapel Cracked

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600-year-old musical code in chapel cracked

Presentation by Ganesh Srinivasan; forKnowledge Exchange and not for any

commercial gainsPage 2

The Mitchells have called the piece The Rosslyn Motet and added words from acontemporary hymn to complete it.

They have also scheduled a world premiere at a concert in the chapel on May 18,when four singers will be accompanied by eight musicians playing the piece onmedieval instruments.

Simon Beattie of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust said that he was delighted to have themystery finally solved, and was intrigued by the music itself.

Its not something you would want to put on in the car and listen to, but its certainlyan interesting piece of music, he said. Its got a good medieval sound toit.AGENCIES