Music for Life

Fiona Maddocks's descriptions are dangerously moreish...a timely reminder of the importance of music.

Most of us turn to music for support at emotionally challenging moments. In this personal selection of "music to see you through", Fiona Maddocks, music critic of The Observer, gives succinct thoughts on the emotional import of works ranging from the evident to the surprising, in categories ranging from humour to mourning. It's one of those short-sectioned, dip-in books, but Maddocks' writing is as exquisitely chiselled as the finest cut crystal and involves no need to ramble...the book looks like a chocolate box, but its content is meaty.

Wonderful . . . Her selection is sensationally eclectic . . . a first-aid kit that should be stocked in every pharmacy. It provides an instant remedy for almost every urgent physical need.