Sometimes a book changes your life. That was the case when Amy Granger came across Year of Wonder, written by the broadcaster and journalist Clemency Burton-Hill. Featuring a single, short piece of classical music for every day of the year, this treasury offers a personal guide through the art form across the centuries. ‘My aunt found it in the library, grabbed it – and she became enamoured. She bought copies and sent them to everybody. My mum got one, and it sort of grew, and we now have this huge network of people in my family who have this book,’ says Granger. ‘When I read the introduction, honestly, it was like stars, rainbows and lightning bolts were shooting out of the book into my brain.’
That’s lovely, you might be thinking, but what’s the wider significance? Well, Granger works for one of the oldest cultural institutions in Idaho, the Boise Philharmonic – or Boise Phil, as it’s known – and oversees the audience’s experience with the orchestra. ‘Clemency’s introductionwith the public,’ she says. After getting the book for the Boise Phil’s staff and board directors, the next steps seemed logical to her: ‘Maybe we should have a book club? And then, why wouldn’t we invite the public?’
