A first for Oxford May Music – not only the first time we have had a Jazz concert, but also the first time anything has been performed in perfect darkness. This will allow us to explore the effect of darkness on your senses and in particular your listening experience. In the first half of the evening, world experts Russell and Ron will explore some of consequences of darkness in the natural world. Sunlight is vital to life on Earth; not only does it enable plants to grow it also allows us to see. But it does much more than this including, regulating our body clocks, sleep, seasonal rhythms and even alertness. However, many animals cope perfectly well with very little or even none of the sun’s rays. We will examine the use made of sunlight by several animals, including humans, and compare life in this sunlit world to the realms inhabited by animals that live in the deep ocean beyond the sun’s reach.