Musical Myths and Miracles

For millennia, music has been credited with extraordinary powers. Ancient Greek modes were said to heal, while modern culture offers everything from expensive audiophile obsessions with “perfect” sound to wilder claims that the music of Mozart enhances intelligence. Film and media often romanticise and misrepresent how music works.

But what is real, and what is invention? This lecture separates fact from fiction, unpicking the stories we tell about its powers, and uncovering its genuine miracles.