Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Don't let the publisher and Christian bookshop distribution fool you - there's no Christian overview in this guide to classical music. Nor is there an examination of the spiritual beliefs of the composers of the classics. (For that you will need the author's The Spiritual Lives Of Great Composers' - irritatingly plugged on the cover of 'A Taste For The Classics' despite being unpublished in Britain.) What you get here is very much an 'idiot's guide' (perfect for this particular reviewer who doesn't know Mendelssohn from Messiaen and who understands the average album review in Gramophone about as much as if it were written in Esperanto). If you're looking for a beginner's reference work which neither blinds you with technical jargon then this is it.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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