Silent teachers - a collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Anatomical donation is a remarkably selfless act of forethought and generosity. It is a quiet, profound bridge between a life well-lived and the lives of others yet to be saved or improved.

Silent Teachers is a term used within anatomy for the bodies that are bequeathed to the University of Edinburgh after death for anatomical examination.

The generous decision by individuals to donate their bodies enables the education of medical, healthcare and science students. It can also aid the training of those working in anatomy, surgery and other individuals whose professional practice requires an understanding of human anatomy.

 

New collaboration announced

As we mark 300 years of medical education at the University of Edinburgh, we are delighted to partner with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) on a collaboration called Silent Teachers, an ambitious, multistrand artistic project that brings together new music, performance, film and learning.

Inspired by the individuals who donate their bodies to medical teaching and research - known within anatomy as ‘silent teachers’ - the project explores how music can offer space for reflection, gratitude and remembrance, while opening new conversations between art and science.

At the heart of this collaboration are eight new works composed as part of Soundbox – the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s mentoring programme for early-career composers. Working closely with SCO Associate Composer Jay Capperauld and SCO musicians, composition students from the University of Edinburgh have developed new solo works through workshops, feedback sessions and collaborative rehearsals.

This programme runs alongside the commission of Silent Teachers, a new work by Jay Capperauld written for clarinet and string quartet. The music is shaped by the dignity and generosity of those who become 'silent teachers' to generations of medical students, and by the care, pastoral support and rituals of remembrance that surround the anatomical bequest programme.

historical medical illustration showing human body

 

Upcoming events and activities

Silent Teachers Performance

Silent Teachers will be premiered on 17 November 2026 in the Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh. The performance will be presented alongside a public lecture, placing the music within a wider conversation about medicine, ethics, teaching and remembrance.

An excerpt of Silent Teachers will live on beyond its premiere, becoming part of Edinburgh Medical School’s annual memorial service, a rare example of a contemporary commission designed to have an enduring ceremonial life.

Tuesday 17 November, 6.30pm at the Edinburgh Futures Institute 
 

Silent Teachers Film

To extend the reach and impact of the Silent Teachers project, Jay’s new work will form part of two short films including an online performance of Silent Teachers and interviews with Jay Capperauld and Edinburgh Medical School staff. The films will be shared across SCO, University of Edinburgh and Scotsman platforms, creating a lasting artistic record accessible to audiences in Scotland and internationally.

Online broadcast date: Wednesday 18th November, 7.30pm | FREE to view

Co-presented by The Scotsman 
 

Soundbox: Mentoring the next generation

Running alongside the commission, Silent Teachers also seeds future creativity through Soundbox, the SCO’s mentoring programme for early career composers. Working closely with Jay Capperauld and SCO musicians, composition students from the University of Edinburgh will develop new solo works through workshops, feedback sessions and collaborative rehearsals. The programme culminates in a sharing event in June 2026, where the new pieces will be performed by SCO musicians, giving young composers the rare opportunity to hear their work brought to life at the highest professional level. 

 

Visit the Scottish Chamber Orchestra website

Find out more about body donation at the University of Edinburgh

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