Composed for International Women's Day, this mesmerising piece celebrates the centennary of Rosalind Franklin and sets her own words with additional text by the poet Seán Street. McDowall's tribute to this underappreciated chemist and crystallographer combines intricate, intertwining melodies with ethereal harmonies beautifully capturing Franklin's part in the discovery of the double helix structure.

Programme Notes:
Photo 51 (Seven Ages of Woman) is based on the iconic image taken by Rosalind Franklin, the crystallographer, whose work was central to the understanding of DNA. Photo 51 marks the centenary of Rosalind Franklins birth. I commissioned the poet and author Seán Street to create a text based on the iconic image (known as Photo 51) taken by Rosalind Franklin, the chemist and crystallographer whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA. Photo 51 was the critical evidence in identifying the structure of DNA, revealing its double helix structure in the very early fifties. Her work was overlooked when, four years after her death, three men - Wilkins, Crick and Watson - were awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of DNA. I knew a little of Rosalind Franklin and her remarkable work in this field but have taken this opportunity to discover more about her. This is also the year of her centenary and it seemed fitting to focus on her part in the discovery of DNA at this time. The number 51 has a resonance for me, too, chiming with the year in which I was born. I find it fascinating to think of Rosalind Franklins remarkable discoveries unfolding in my early years. The idea of the Double Helix plays a part in both the structure of Seán Streets poem and the texture of my a cappella work, Photo 51.
Cecilia McDowall, 2020