As I always do when visiting my local bookstore, I found myself browsing the music section. On this particular occasion I came across a book by radio host and violinist Clemency Burton-Hill called Year of Wonder. It’s a book for classical music fans but it’s also for anyone seeking an introduction to the music of the masters. Its 366 entries present one famous classical work for each day of the year and shares background information about it.
What little I know about classical music could fill an orchestra pit, but the premise of Year of Wonder struck me as brilliant, if not classic in its own right. To take a giant genre like classical music and break it down into bite-sized pieces made it much more accessible and appealing. I immediately wondered if anyone had ever written a book using this premise that focused on the music masters of my generation, The Beatles.
