Till then the males fly in biblical swarms among the treetops, serenading the fair sex.

ECONOMIST: Cicadas in Illinois

Burns was not born when Watt was serenading his raucous fans with a rendition of Flower of Scotland, but nevertheless hopes the atmosphere will help him.

BBC: Fear factor key for Ricky Burns against Roman Martinez

Just 10 years ago, Valdes, one of the most storied musicians of Cuba, was serenading travelers at hotels and bars in Stockholm as a lounge pianist.

NPR: Bebo Valdes' Long Musical Journey

To read the editorials, you'd think that the Vienna Boys Choir has been serenading Manchester United and Liverpool when they play each other in the English Premier League.

CNN: How I learned to love the vuvuzela

The music died when the first results came into Romney HQ in Boston - not metaphorically, but literally, as the jazz band that had been serenading Republicans stopped playing.

BBC: Right direction for Romney?

The overall effect is epic and graceful, with wings radiating from the 105-foot-high central dome, and features plenty of grace notes, from musicians serenading at breakfast to peacocks strolling the manicured lawns.

FORBES: Escapes

At the same time, airports are promoting services and amenities that can reduce some of the stress associated with delays -- like serenading stranded travelers with live music, tempting them with sophisticated wine bars and offering spas and gyms to work off their worries.

CNN: Suffer delays with wine bars, spas, gyms

Journalists are by nature a skeptical bunch, and all the more so when they've been assigned to cover a photo op. (The hotel had scheduled a dog-serenading opera singer, and puppy weddings.) But sometimes you need to set aside your attitude, not to mention your dreams of becoming the next Walter Cronkite or Edward R.

WSJ: Checking In at the Doggie Hotel