Handcross Primary School

Composers and Singers

A group of school children gathered around a paper crown on a blue mat

(Photo above is the Amyloid Group with their origami crown)

All images on this page courtesy of Herbie Clarke and the school. This page also includes quotes from the children gathered from data collected after the project.

  • CLASS Year 5 Badgers
  • SCHOOL Handcross Primary School, London Road, Handcross, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England
  • HONOURS One of the children recently took (and passed) her grade 3 singing exam The class have also individually obtained Arts Awards for their work around their visit to Glyndebourne Opera (Il Turco In Italia)
  • MINERVA SCIENTIFICA PROJECT Misfolding Project April to June 2025

the local is a figure with leaves that looks like a tree and it says Handcross Primary School

Alzheimer's Research UK logoA logo

A young boy holds a bowl over his head

I liked seeing us mix the chickpea juice and the scientists put it over their head

The Misfolding Project

On the project we learnt how proteins misfold, about amyloids and what they are in detail, but we also learnt about DNA, proteins and brain cells. We enjoyed working in our group, finding out all the information/facts and the fun we had with the chickpea juice!

In the performance we enjoyed showing everyone what we had been learning, the signing, the rap and the chorus. We all knew the music off by heart, it was amazing!

  • I liked the music we made
  • I liked whisking the proteins to see if they solidify

Composition

Title: Patricia Prunella Protein
Scientists: Professor Louise Serpell,  Dr Karen Marshall
Composers: Year 5, Badgers, Handcross Primary School
Words by: the composers
Written in: 2025
For: Voices, keyboard, and sound effects
Performed by: the composers
Recorded: 19th June 2025 at Handcross Primary
Film by: Herbie Clarke with drawings by the composers

The piece was written by the children in 4 groups: – DNA, PROTEINS, BRAIN CELLS and AMYLOID.

4 origami crowns with music notes on them on different coloured cloths

The groups used some musical material created by making origami crowns with notes in a random order and showing chains of amino acids on the inside

A group of school children gathered around a paper crown on a red mat

We wrote about how Rosalind Franklin discovered DNA was a double helix.
What we all liked about our verse was that we all had creativity and independence.A group of school children gathered around a paper crown on a green mat

We wrote about BRAIN CELLS flashing on and off.
We liked the chorus best!

A group of school children gathered around a paper crown on a yellow mat

We wrote about PROTEINS folding into 3D shapes.
We liked our part when we had different shapes to sing.

a small group of children gathered round a mic and music stand singing

We wrote about AMYLOID, Patricia Prunella Protein and where she ended up (in a spider’s web).

The sections are linked by a chorus written by Frances and tell the story of how Patricia Prunella Protein is born, what happens to her and her protein friends – what they fold into and how they begin to misfold and cause all sorts of problems – but don’t worry there is a very happy ending!. The full text of the Megasong appears on the video.

children singing

The whole class record their megasong

This MEGASONG was created with the help of a team of musicians and scientists from Electric Voice Theatre and The Serpell Lab, University of Sussex. Together we created music around the science of folding and misfolding proteins.

A group of people singing

I liked writing the Megasong because we all got a part to say or sing

  • I liked the singing
  • I like the squircle (our singing warm up)
  • I liked beat boxing
  • I liked being in my group and practising

Education

Handcross school has it’s own music room where everyone can try playing instruments, and almost half of the class learning to play eg. violin, piano, drums and guitars, and more than half sing in the choir.

getting ready to whisk!

The amyloid group line up with Prof. Louise Serpell to whisk aquafaba showing how proteins misfold

  • I liked the blocks in different colours that came on the screen and we had to sing our noise on our colour
  • I liked when they were singing the song to us.

Occupations

There are only 2 people in the class who definitely want to be scientists, one of them wants to be a biologist, but some are still thinking about it! There are many who want to be singers and composers and others want to be footballers, authors, lawyers, police officers, engineers and more.

Musical Highlights

Year 5, Badgers, learnt and performed an Indian song as part of an International Week celebration. They are currently in rehearsal for the school show, “The Lion King”. They are the main chorus/choir for the show, supporting the year 6 class who are doing the acting.

Did You Know?a group of people in a classroom having fun

  • We learnt how proteins misfold. Sam was good at whisking. It was strange and surprising when the chickpea juice wasn’t spilling because it was so thick.
  • Proteins make your bum poo!

An Inspiring Woman

  • Mrs Smith our class teacher is very inspiring
  • Rosalind Franklin discovered the shape of DNA was a double helix

    some of the words of the song

    I like how Frances did the DNA Rosalind Franklin song.

  • Lilian Bader is inspiring because she was the first woman in the military to achieve her stripes
Links
School website