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Year of Wonder
Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day | Clemency Burton-Hill
14 posts | 5 read | 5 reading | 25 to read
Year of Wonder is an absolute treatthe most enlightening way to be guided through the year. Eddie Redmayne A unique celebration of classical music that showcases one inspirational piece each day of the year, written by an award-winning violinist and BBC Radio personality Classical music has a reputation for being stuffy, boring, and largely inaccessible, but Burton-Hill is here to change that. An award-winning writer, broadcaster and musician, with a deep love of the art form she wants everyone to feel welcome at the classical party, and her desire to share her passion for its diverse wonders inspired this unique, enlightening, and expertly curated treasury. As she says, The only requirements for enjoying classical music are open ears and an open mind. Year of Wonder introduces readers to one piece of music each day of the year, artfully selected from across genres, time periods, and composers. Burton-Hill offers short introductions to contextualize each piece, and makes the music come alive in modern and playful ways. From Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Puccini to George Gershwin, Clara Schumann, Philip Glass, Duke Ellington, and many remarkable yet often-overlooked voices, Burton-Hill takes us on a dazzling journey through our most treasured musical landscape. Thoughtfully curated and masterfully researched, Year of Wonder is a book of classical music for everyone. Whether youre a newcomer or an aficionado, Burton-Hills celebration will inspire, nourish, and enrich your life in unexpected ways.
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CoffeeNBooks
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Thank you @Librarybelle for putting this book on my radar!! I am so glad I bought it. I've played piano since I was 5, and violin since I was 7. I've always loved classical music, and I'm really looking forward to reading this book throughout the year! I'm curious to see if my favorites are included, and if so, which ones. 🎶

Librarybelle Hooray!!! Isn‘t it amazing??? I‘m enjoying her second book as well. Hooray for a year of classical music! 4mo
CoffeeNBooks @Librarybelle It is fabulous!! 4mo
Mollyanna I did the same thing. I went out and bought it after reading the review by @Librarybelle. I‘ve played piano and flute since elementary school. Looking forward to immersing myself in the classical music. 4mo
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Librarybelle I hope you enjoy it too, @Mollyanna ! 4mo
CoffeeNBooks @Librarybelle @Mollyanna I'm absolutely enjoying it so far, and now I'm keeping track of all the music in my reading journal. 😁 4mo
Kristin_Reads I loved that book! There‘s a Spotify playlist to accompany it, too. 4mo
CoffeeNBooks @Kristin_Reads Cool! Thanks for letting me know- I just found it! 4mo
LeeRHarry I put it down a couple of years ago at the end of April and plan to pick it back up then this year. 😊 3mo
jlhammar Hope you enjoy! My husband and I loved our daily reading/listening when we did this in 2020. I‘m so happy we‘re making our way through the second book this year. It‘s wonderful so far. 3mo
PathfinderNicole Oooh! My son is a cellist (entering his fourth year now!) so I bet he‘d love this! He‘s 12 so maybe as a family thing 3mo
CoffeeNBooks @PathfinderNicole It has so many fabulous pieces of classical music listed! 3mo
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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

To say I loved my yearlong journey into classical music through this book is an understatement. Every night, I read the entry for the day and followed it up with the selected piece on Spotify. I‘m a violinist (though a very out of practice violinist), and classical music was such a constant for me growing up. I learned about composers I‘ve never heard of, listened to some favorite pieces, and just enjoyed the experience. I highly recommend this.

Librarybelle I listened to today‘s entry this morning to check this one off my 2023 list. I was very excited to see Burton-Hill has another year‘s worth of classical music, and I have that ready to go for 2024 (it was not available in the US when I looked for it earlier this year, so I ordered it through Blackwell‘s)! 4mo
CoffeeNBooks Oh wow! I'm going to check this out! I've played classical music (piano & violin) my entire life. I love listening to classical music, so I would probably love this book! 4mo
Librarybelle @CoffeeNBooks I loved the mixture of music she selected - even going into opera and ragtime and jazz. It was amazing! 4mo
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CoffeeNBooks @Librarybelle Ordering this from Amazon right now! 😁 4mo
batsy This sounds lovely! 4mo
Librarybelle @batsy It really is! 4mo
Deblovestoread This is part of my 2024 plan. My daughter has been learning violin over the last few years and we ignited my love of classical music. 4mo
Librarybelle @Deblovestoread I hope you enjoy! 4mo
jlhammar Yay! I loved this too. And I‘ll be starting Another Year of Wonder tomorrow - can‘t wait! 🎶 4mo
Librarybelle That‘s so cool, @jlhammar ! 4mo
janeycanuck Oh, I‘m going to have to look into this! 4mo
Librarybelle Definitely do, @janeycanuck ! 4mo
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AnneCecilie
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The first #BookReport of the year and it‘s really early. But there‘s a reason for that, I‘ve read all the library books and even returned some already.

That means that All the Colors of Life, Simple Passion, Abid Raja‘s memoir and The Other Side of the Bridge are all read.

I‘m still reading The Christmas Chronicles according to its dates.

I‘ve started reading and listening to a Year of Wonder. Since this is a yearly challenge, it won‘t show

AnneCecilie up every week, but enough times to keep myself accountable. Last year I listened for 6 weeks once the book arrived and I want to listen every day. Now on to start some new books. 1y
Cathythoughts That‘s a great first Bookreport 👍🏻♥️ 1y
Cinfhen Amazing week!! 1y
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Skygoddess1
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My best friend got me the greatest Christmas gift for both someone who took piano lessons for over a decade and for someone who loves music. I‘m absolutely enjoying this day by day calendar with a new classic song and composer each day. It‘s also nice that I can access the playlist for the text on Apple Music.

Caroline2 Oh I‘ve just started reading this too! It‘s good isn‘t it. I really liked todays choice. 👍 1y
CBee I took piano from elementary through college! And just recently played again for the first time in a while ♥️ 1y
jlhammar I loved making my way through this one (back in 2020). Enjoy! I also studied music (piano and voice) so was familiar with many of her choices, but still found some new favorites. It was such a nice addition to each day. 1y
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Cazxxx
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Started this yesterday as I love classical music but I‘m certainly no expert and this will give me something new to listen to every day as well as a description of each piece. A lovely way to start each day!

CBee Sounds amazing! Classical music has my heart ♥️ 1y
Lreads I absolutely love classical music! I hope you enjoy it! 🎶 1y
Cazxxx @CBee I‘m looking forward to listening to something new each day 😊 1y
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Cazxxx @QuietlyLaura Thank you 😊 I‘m excited to read this and listen to a new piece of music every day! 1y
Librarybelle What a great idea! I have a copy of this book too…I may have to look into this as well. Classical music is wonderful! 1y
AnneCecilie I started this one yesterday too. I hope I manage to listen every day. 1y
Cazxxx @Librarybelle It‘s a nice thing to do every day ☺️ 1y
Cazxxx @AnneCecilie Me too! 1y
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AnneCecilie
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The first #WeeklyForecast of the year

I‘ll continue The Christmas Chronicles.

I‘ll start a year long reading challenge of reading and listening to classical music in A Year of Wonder. I saw Simon Savidge doing this over on SavidgeReads last year. Order the book, started and for no apparent reason stopped listening so giving it another go this year from day 1.

For the last couple of years All the Colors of Life has been the first book I read

AnneCecilie and I see no reason to change that this year. Then I‘ll read A Passion, another short from Ernaux. Then I‘ll read Abid Raja‘s memoir. He‘s a former Minister of Culture and I went to listen to hear him talk about this book last February and it arrived from the library just before Christmas. And hopefully I‘ll get a start on The Other Side of the Bridge. 1y
Cinfhen Some gorgeous looking covers and a fabulous selection of books!!! Happy 2023 🧡🎶 1y
Tamra Somehow I‘ve missed the Slater books - need to check them out! 1y
jlhammar I loved Year of Wonder! My husband and I listened our way through back in 2020. It was such a nice ritual. 1y
43 likes4 comments
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Larkken
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So, this book describes a piece of classical music each day of the year, and I‘ve been following along with YouTube videos as a kind of morning meditation… and this was the album cover showcased on the video today 😂 So much like a romance novel cover! So dramatic! Y‘all, I just couldn‘t do it for a whole 8 min 🤪

JamieArc Who knew a clarinetist could be so sexy? 😂😂 (I used to play clarinet) 2y
wanderinglynn A clarinet has never been so sexy! 😍😆 2y
LeeRHarry I‘m following this book this year too 😊 that cover is too funny 😏 2y
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Larkken @JamieArc @wanderinglynn I don't know if I've listened to much of it before, and very much liked it! after I changed the YouTube video, anyway. I tend to like watching live performances.... I suppose I'd really be in trouble if there's a video of that man playing soulfully on some windy moor, somewhere... 🤣 2y
Larkken @LeeRHarry it's proving to be a lovely, meditative way to start my day! Hope it's working for you too 🙂 if so, I just figured out that the author just wrote a follow-up: 2y
JamieArc @Larkken 🤣🤣 2y
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

If you are looking to add a nice daily ritual in the new year, highly recommend. Husband and I really enjoyed. We were already quite familiar with classical music and still found some new (to us) favorites.

Vansa Ooh sounds very nice. Will also follow this! 2y
19 likes1 comment
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Booksnchill
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Merry Christmas to all! Finishing off my year of Music with Clemency Burton-Hill I highly recommend this as a way to introduce yourself to new music- or revisit old favorites- 365 days of Wonder. Blessings to all!

Cathythoughts Beautiful pic ❤️ 4y
Booksnchill @Cathythoughts thanks- I am having a jammies and coffee quiet morning! Merry Christmas to you! 4y
umbrellagirl Merry Christmas 🎄🎄 4y
Booksnchill @umbrellagirl merry christmas🥰 4y
Bookzombie Merry Christmas! 🎄 4y
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readinginthedark
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I'm still a bit behind in the "keeping up with things" department. But I'm reading this book with daily pages on classical music this year. I'm behind, but today I listened to this beautiful, melancholy piece and wanted to share it with you.

Burton-Hill says, "Here is Schumann, getting his private anguish down on paper...saving himself, yes, but in the process of the music being received by us...and processed and felt and loved, saving us too."

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Booksnchill
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2019 resolution- I end my day with a reading and classical piece highlighted in this day book of classical music. Tonight it is “Va tacito e nascosto” from Guilio Cesare by Handel for the Ides of March. Listening to Julius Caesar (from Act 1 of Handel‘s opera)- He who intends evil will not wish to show the deceit in his heart. I recommend this book as a lovely way to close out the day.🎼🎻🎷

thebluestocking This is such a cool idea! I may steal it. ❤️ 5y
Booksnchill @thebluestocking do please- it is 1 short entry about a work related to the date (usually) and with my streaming music services I can listen to each piece (usually under 8 minutes). Really is fun and full of info 5y
thebluestocking Such a great way to get in some music. 5y
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readinginthedark
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I'm playing catch-up on my daily reading in Year of Wonder right now, and one of the composers featured is Florence Price! Perfect for the #24B4Monday Black History Month theme. She was an amazing musical pioneer--an African-American single mother who beat all the odds to make beautiful music that interwove classical, blues, and spiritual styles. It's slow-going, but I'm 3 hours in!
@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65

Andrew65 Well done a good start, and a good post. 👏 5y
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readinginthedark
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Wow!

Lynnsoprano That‘s beautiful and amazing. I could not bring myself to go to Terezin while we were living in Prague, but this is one of those things that makes me wish I had. When I was teaching, my choir sang a song with lyrics based on writings by children in the camp there that was incredibly moving. 5y
readinginthedark @Lynnsoprano I understand--I'm sure it would be so hard to go there! That song sounds like a fantastic tribute! Have writings like that been collected in any books that you know of? I want to read more from people who actually experienced this. 5y
46 likes2 comments
review
balletbookworm
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Pickpick

First book finished for #readathon (I only had about 150p left). This is a really solid one-piece-per-day devotional, if you will, designed to dive deep into the classical music catalogue. A few favorites are missing (Rhapsody in Blue, where are you?? Enigma Variations? Any ballet music?) but there were a lot of new-to-me composers to explore (starting right away in January with Hildegard von Bingen). This is a very consciously inclusive list.

balletbookworm What I think this collection is missing are some recommendations for which recording to listen to. Some more recent or less popular will have fewer to choose from but something like “Che gelida manina” from La Bohème will have hundreds available. 6y
balletbookworm Burton-Hill has also curated playlists by month (if you‘re not bonkers like me and pulling multiple versions, favorites, and complete works rather than movements and are making your own). Search for Clemency (with the blue tick mark) in Spotify or Year of Wonder at Apple Music. 6y
readinginthedark I love Hildegard von Bingen! And I didn't know she'd made her own playlists; I've been listening to multiple versions, too. 😆 5y
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