Whenever news like this (the Church of England’s idiotic pronouncements about same-sex marriage) get you down, remember this:
As Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic said: “Beethoven’s Ninth seems to express most completely what human beings are struggling for. It’s a battle cry for humanity, the hymn of possibility.”
I vote for possibility. How about you?
Nicola Griffith 
Me too. Always.
And yes, I love Beethoven's ninth. And I happen to be a fan of Zander too. I have a friend who plays with the Boston Phil, and one of their performances were the most astonishing/moving I've ever seen.
I haven't listened to live music for what seems like an age. Over a year. Must get back to it! Thanks for the reminder.