Our Own Festival
Donald Macleod looks back on the founding of Benjamin Britten鈥檚 music festival at Aldeburgh.
Donald Macleod looks back on the founding of Benjamin Britten鈥檚 music festival at Aldeburgh.
It was while travelling a long way from Suffolk, on their way to Switzerland, that Peter Pears is supposed to have said to Benjamin Britten: 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we have a festival in Aldeburgh?鈥�
On the face of it, an eccentric idea to think you could have a music festival in that relatively awkward to get to corner of East Anglia, but the Aldeburgh Festival quickly established itself a great success. It rooted Britten ever more deeply in Suffolk, as well as providing an expression of his rootedness.
Albert Herring, 鈥淎lbert the Good鈥�
Christopher Gillett, tenor
Northern Sinfonia
Steuart Bedford, conductor
Saint Nicolas (excerpt)
Mark Le Brocq, tenor
大象传媒 Concert Orchestra
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Coldfall Primary School Choir
David Temple, conductor
Noye鈥檚 Fludde, 鈥淚t is good for to be still鈥�
Coull String Quartet
Members of Endymion Ensemble and School鈥檚 Orchestra Salisbury & Chester
City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox and David Horlock (conductors)
Lachrymae (reflections on a song by John Dowland)
Kim Kashkashian, viola
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies, conductor
Canticle ii: Abraham and Isaac
Jean Rigby, soprano
Philip Langridge, tenor
Steuart Bedford, piano
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Benjamin Britten
Albert Herring, Op 39, Act 1, No 4, Albert the good
Orchestra: Royal Northern Sinfonia. Conductor: Steuart Bedford. Singer: Christopher Gillett.- NAXOS : 8-660107-08.
- NAXOS.
- 11.
-
![]()
Benjamin Britten
St Nicolas, Op 42 (Nicolas and the pickled boys)
Choir: Crouch End Festival Chorus. Choir: Coldfall Primary School Choir. Orchestra: 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: David Temple. Singer: Mark le Brocq.- SIGNUM : SIGCD649.
- SIGNUM.
- 7.
-
![]()
Benjamin Britten
Noye's Fludde, Op 59 "It is good for to be still"
Ensemble: Coull Quartet. Ensemble: Members Of Endymion Ensemble. Orchestra: School'S Orchestra Salisbury & Chester. Conductor: Richard Hickox.- Erato 3499232.
- Erato.
- 19.
-
![]()
Benjamin Britten
Lachrymae, Op 48a (Reflections on a song of Dowland)
Performer: Kim Kashkashian. Orchestra: Stuttgarter Kammerorchester. Conductor: Dennis Russell Davies.- ECM : 439-611-2.
- ECM.
- 2.
-
![]()
Benjamin Britten
Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op 51
Performer: Steuart Bedford. Singer: Philip Langridge. Singer: Jean Rigby.- COLLINS CLASSICS : 148-12.
- COLLINS CLASSICS.
- 2.
Broadcast
- Thu 1 Jul 2021 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.