‘The Lark Ascending,’ by Ralph Vaughan-Williams

Performed here by soloist Tamsin Waley-Cohen, it’s been voted the most popular classical piece ever:

Inspired by a poem by George Meredith:

He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chains of sound,
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake.

Hear it live with the NZSO this Friday (in Wellington) or next (in Auckland), and points in-between in between.