Monday July 13 2020
Britten owned a large collection of verse anthologies as well as volumes of specific authors in his library. Of these volumes the one with the most interesting provenance may be this first edition of Thomas Hardy’s poems – Time’s Laughingstocks and Other Verses. Two letters from Hardy found in the cover of the volume reveal […]
Tuesday July 7 2020
In the archive at the Red House, there is shelf after shelf of Benjamin Britten’s correspondence: its cataloguing was recently completed by a team of volunteers, after which the final total stood at over eleven thousand files. Much of it is professional and there is also personal correspondence such as the intimate, affectionate letters that […]
Monday June 29 2020
Visitors entering the Red House are met by one of our volunteers, who will explain how they should safely make their way around the house and equip them with the protective footwear that protects the historic floor-coverings. All the visitors’ focus is forwards, towards the person greeting them, and it is very easy not to […]
Monday June 22 2020
Britten and Pears’ first public performance of Schubert’s masterpiece was memorable for various reasons, not least of which is an archive treasure, a ‘stolen’ birthday present. Britten and Pears’ song recitals were often highlights of the Aldeburgh Festival. The rapport they established on stage is summarised by Britten’s publisher Erwin Stein who, following his 1957 […]
Monday June 15 2020
Britten, Pears and writer and producer Eric Crozier first discussed the idea of holding a festival in Aldeburgh in Summer 1947 while touring abroad with the newly formed English Opera Group. Troubled by the expenses of running a touring opera company, they wanted to establish a base for the Group at home. On their return […]
Monday June 8 2020
Wonder what the above could possibly have in common? In three words: David Myerscough-Jones. Discover more about the work this artist did when he envisioned Britten’s Borough and ghosts for television Following studies in his native Lancashire this talented artist embarked on a career in designing for theatre first in Scotland and later in London. In […]
Monday June 1 2020
As one would expect, the Britten Pears Archive strong room is full of stories about works Britten composed. Just as interesting though are the stories about works which weren’t written. Some projects got no further than a letter suggesting them to Britten. Such a letter was sent from poet Philip Larkin in 1974 explaining that […]
Tuesday May 26 2020
When we visit someone’s house, is anyone able to resist checking out the contents of the shelves and drawing conclusions about the owner from the books there? During the coronavirus shutdown, of course, video calls and interviews have allowed us to scrutinise the books of colleagues and celebrities, peering behind someone’s head to make out […]
Wednesday May 6 2020
During a time when catching up on reading is a viable option for many of us, find out how Britten and Pears’ unique and beautiful bookplate came to be made. Britten and Pears were incorrigible bibliophiles. Like many booklovers, they were eager to declare ownership of their collection, to have a personalised Ex Libris. And […]
Monday April 20 2020
The Archive is delighted to have received in February a collection of items relating to contralto Kathleen Ferrier. Ferrier played an important role in Britten’s early career. He wrote music with her sumptuous and expressive voice in mind, specifically Spring Symphony and Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac. In 1946 Ferrier made her stage debut in […]
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14 July 2020