Why music stirs our emotions

Wendy Rigg is planning a summer of festival fun – but what is it about nostalgic music that makes us feel so good?

Anna Clyne composer The Beatles are some of the great melodists. One of the things I love about them is that perfect blend of melody and harmony, but also lyrics. I sang ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ at schoo

The Beatles came together in Liverpool in 1960 and in just ten years, until 1970 when they disbanded, they had changed the face of Western popular culture in ways that still strongly resonate to this

The BBC Proms changed the face of classical music when ‘the people’s festival’ was launched in 1895. The perennially popular event features some of the nation’s favourite tunes from composers inspired by the countryside of the British Isles. Here Kitty Corrigan selects her top ten

HAPPY HORMONES Exercise increases levels of the feel-good brain chemicals serotonin and endorphins, giving you a happy ‘high’. Feeling low or lost your motivation? The idea of working out might not fi

No nonsense trends, no impossible goals, just simple, straightforward advice for good health-keeping. This month… From stress-related cortisol to ‘orgasmic’ oxytocin, Polly Vernon shares all she’s learned about hormonal health