First of all, I also hope that your friend will fully recover.

Far from all the magnificent music already quoted, I would like to mention
a record of British Light Music (released by Naxos) which brings me both
comfort and smile in a very quiet and strangely profound way.  It is the
second volume devoted to Haydn Wood's orchestral music, including Roses
of Picardy, Horseguards, and so on.  These are unpretentious vignettes,
but very sensitive, touching in a deeply satisfying manner, I think.
Melancholy and loss are there, and yet hope and joy are just a bit
stronger.

Best wishes,

Thanh-Tam Le
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