We commissioned Callum Morton-Huseyin, a 27-year-old emerging contemporary classical composer, to create this original piece of music that could be released in two parts, and for Britain’s national orchestra, the RPO, to perform it.
Entitled ‘Let’s Finish It’, the symphony originally cut to an abrupt silence three quarters of the way through, as a musical metaphor for the unfinished state of the building and the ongoing challenge to defeat cancer.
The music reflects the progress of the pioneering Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery – where we aim to overcome cancer’s ability to evolve resistance to drugs with the world’s first ‘anti-evolution’ drug discovery programme.
A unique anthem for a unique building
The different phrases of the finished symphony, which is now the official anthem for the new Centre, reflect our efforts to understand the ways in which cancers adapt and evolve. The ebbs and flows of the music mirroring the highs and lows in cancer research, and as the piece moves on, the music becomes increasingly positive and uplifting.
The score for the remaining quarter of the symphony, which was written after the original piece of music was released, is inspired by the completion of the Centre, the efforts of our scientists and researchers to outsmart cancer’s evolution and our steps forward towards defeating the disease.
The new Centre officially opened on 17th November, and the piece of music has finally been completed and released to the public for the first time.