Waking to sweltering temperatures in the UK this week has been a shocking reminder of that bike trip I took back in 2023, when it was frequently into the mid-thirties by sun-up, and soaring ever higher thereafter. Georgia and Florida, on a bike, were almost intolerable.

Naturally, I had to find ways to mitigate this heat-stress. As you know, the main one was to leave between 3-4am and to stop moving by midday, at the latest. But there were other tactics, both physical and psychological. I often used Street View on Google Maps to find roads with maximum tree cover, even if they were out of my way and of poor quality. But the most surprisingly effective move, one that I realise now I barely mentioned at the time, was to put earbud headphones in when riding and listen to music that for some reason I found cooling. Today I thought I’d kick off a list of selections that might be helpful to listen to during the current heatwave, ones that I used at the time. Of course, I’m throwing this open to all of you out there, to add suggestions of your own. No offers refused, however weird.

Here are three to get things rolling.

1. First off is a recording that the English Chamber Orchestra made with the great American soprano Renée Fleming: the beautiful ‘Bailero‘ from Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne. From the very first note the air seems to shimmer with exquisite calm, leading to melancholy oboe and flute solos that set the stage for Fleming’s gorgeous first verse. I had this on repeat perhaps a little too often.

2. Next is some Bach. I always found that Bach played on the piano made me feel instantly cooler. I tried listening to the same pieces played on the harpsichord, as they were written, but they just didn’t have the same effect. The other odd thing was that, for me, the minor key numbers felt ‘hotter’ for some reason. Listening to any of the major key preludes was just like taking a sip of ice cold lemonade with a cooling fan blowing in your face. Here’s Glenn Gould playing the E major Praeludium.

3. This last choice was astoundingly effective at helping to make the heat seem less awful, the scenery more beautiful, and the day somehow less of a struggle. Miles Davis’s Flamenco Sketches, from the irresistible Kind of Blue.

So, over to you! If you send links I’ll do a follow up post and add them to the blog. I can’t wait to hear what you guys come up with. Don’t be shy, and stay cool! Bxx