Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies

The opening sweeps listeners into a lyrical meditation on mortality, pairing lofty philosophical rumination with a whimsically ornate prose style. It invites the mind to hover between the finite confines of everyday life and an imagined boundless realm of spirit, echoing the musings of a seventeenth‑century Cambridge Platonist. The tone is both reflective and slightly playful, setting the stage for a series of eccentric essays that blend humor with earnest inquiry.

From this broad canvas descend vivid portrait sketches of a small parish: the stoic shoemaker Hankin, the enigmatic rector’s wife whose theatrical past sparks scandal, and a cast of villagers whose quirks are rendered with affectionate satire. Their stories unfold in brief, sharply observed scenes that hint at larger social currents while remaining rooted in everyday absurdities. Listeners will find a charming mixture of intellectual curiosity and rustic comedy, offering a glimpse into a world where lofty ideas mingle freely with the ordinary delights of village life.