Singing in the name of science

Minutes before curtain call, a five-year-old in an over-sized T-shirt sits on a bench outside a Massachusetts Institute of Technology auditorium as his identically dressed parents prep him on their upcoming performance: What do you do on stage? Sing, smile, face the audience. And remember, no hands in your pants, and no fingers in your nose. These three took the stage last Saturday (April 21) in the U.S. premiere of Lifetime: Songs of Life & Evolution at the Cambridge Science Festival, along with dozens of other families, with a mission to spread the good word on evolution.These families, members of the North Cambridge Family Opera Company, sang a kid-friendly score written by British composer David Haines. The 90-minute performance opens dramatically with a tribute to the origins of life, featuring vibrato-laden adult harmonies layered with younger voices. A slide show with lyrics and children's drawings accompanies...