This piece needs little explanation for why it should be on a happiness playlist. I mean just listen to it. It does remind me of a funny story relating to Copland though. When I was in sixth-form a friend and I were given last minute free tickets to a Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concert. We knew there was some Copland on the programme, and we were standing chatting in the concert hall lobby trying to remember whether Copland was still alive or not. Two women nearby overheard us and burst into laughter – it turned out that the concert was actually to honour Copland’s 90th birthday. (Ironically, he died only a couple of weeks later, which sort of settled the discussion).

The Tale of the Golden Cockerel
Despite what Moscow propaganda claims, Russian culture isn’t cancelled in the West, but The Golden Cockerel, currently touring with ETO, may not be entirely to Putin’s taste.