Jeremy Pound recommends compositions inspired by the beauty of the British countryside.

Frederick Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

A bird, cuckoo, in Bradford born Delius’s short work for orchestra. In this instance, the call of the bird is heard in one wind instrument and later another, while a soft, gentle tune in the strings promises sunny days ahead.

Arnold Bax: November Woods

Bax’s 1917 symphonic poem for orchestra has, as the title suggests, a wonderfully autumnal feel. A storm gathers in the first half but eventually the music switches to a calmer mood. Few works display the British weather so delicately.

Gustav Holst: Egdon Heath

Though the title of Holst’s 1927 orchestral work comes from a fictional location described by Thomas Hardy, the composer was initially inspired to write it by long walks in the south of England. The musical landscape here is rough and sometimes predictive.

Edward Elgar: Cello concerto

Is an ageing Elgar looking back over recent global and personal ups and downs in this grand but sorrowful 1919 work, or expressing the beauty of the British countryside? A bit of both, one feels—he associated a passage from it with the Malvern Hills.

Health is wealth, which is why many focus on Health and Well-being series events from New Scientist events.

Specially recommended talk:

Brain Power: Everything you need to know for a healthy, happy brain

Time: 3rd November; Thursday, 6: 00 pm-7: 00 pm

Venue: Live online and on demand

Highlights: What does it mean to have a healthy, happy brain? The more we understand about the human brain, the more we are learning about what we can do to keep it in shape and healthy as we age. In this talk, Catherine de Lange will shine a spotlight on the latest science on brain health, including what we know about preventing cognitive (认知的) decline as we get older and what we can do about improving our mental well-being today. She will unpack the latest understanding on the way that sleep, diet, exercise and our social lives are very important for maintaining our gray matter and will share practical tips and lifestyle changes that can produce long-term brain benefits.

Extra content from New Scientist

The new Health and Well-being series from New Scientist events feature four online talks (live and available on demand): Sleep Engineering (live in September), Nutrition (live in October), Brain Power (live in November) and Laughter (live in December).

You can purchase a single ticket to one lecture for just £13, or save 25% off the standard ticket price by purchasing a series ticket to all 4 talks.

What’s included in your ticket:

Live lecture lasting 60 minutes including Q&A with Catherine de Lange

On-demand access to a recording of the lecture and Q&A for 12 months

Four 2021 book debuts(首发) to add to your reading list

Tara was wild in her youth and dragged her daughter Antara along on all her crazy adventures. She abandoned her first marriage, joined an ashram, and became a beggar. As an adult, Antara never really felt that her mom cared for her and takes pleasure in her mother's current sadness. Still, Antara must make peace with the past as Tara slowly loses her memory. But is Tara’s memory loss real?

Stewart Goodman and Sandy Piccolo are both in love with their best friend Laura Appleby, a girl they met at their Pennsylvania boarding school. In 1972, the three best friends formed a strong family-like bond with Henry Griffin, the school’s dean. Twenty years later, Griffin’s deathbed request brings the three of them back to campus to solve a puzzle that only Griffin has the answers to.

Rue’s optimistic life is rudely awakened when her mother is shot dead on their doorstep. She’s then sent away with her estranged(不和的) father and leaves her younger sister behind. She’s taken to the hidden island Ghizon where magic men live. Rue must use her powers to save her neighborhood before the people of Ghizon burn it down.

The 2008 economic crisis(危机)was the worst thing to happen for Mona the perfectionist. Even though she has an outstanding ability and a top-of-her-class degree, she still finds herself without a job, living with her parents, and lost in life and love. When she finally finds her life’s meaning throughout all her hardship, will she be ready to face it?