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The Britten Pears Archive @BrittenOfficial

The Archive at @redhouse_alde, documenting the lives of Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and their creative circle. Cared for by @brittenpearsarts.

Joined September 2011
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2,645 Photos and videos
Judith from the Archive team has been cataloguing the papers of the English Opera Group: in this article for the @archiveshub she tells us about the new resources this makes available for researchers. blog.archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/…
A black and white photo of three men and three women in early 1950s fashions, all gathered at two small round cafe tables eating ice-cream from tall glasses with long spoons. (These are members of the English Opera Group on tour in Italy in the early 1950s: the composer Benjamin Britten and his partner the singer Peter Pears are on the left.)

ALT A black and white photo of three men and three women in early 1950s fashions, all gathered at two small round cafe tables eating ice-cream from tall glasses with long spoons. (These are members of the English Opera Group on tour in Italy in the early 1950s: the composer Benjamin Britten and his partner the singer Peter Pears are on the left.)
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We celebrate the life and work of Benjamin Luxon, the first Owen Wingrave on TV & LP recording, who died a week ago. A magnificent interpreter of Britten’s music.
The cover of a Decca LP of "Owen Wingrave" by Benjamin Britten: the cover shows a pencil and watercolour picture of a stately home (done by John Piper).

ALT The cover of a Decca LP of "Owen Wingrave" by Benjamin Britten: the cover shows a pencil and watercolour picture of a stately home (done by John Piper).

The cover of an LP of song cycles by Benjamin Britten, performed by Benjamin Luxon (baritone) and David Willison (piano). The cover shows Snape Maltings silhouetted against strong summer sunlight, the river sparkling in front of it; in an inset, Luxon is photographed in an open-necked shirt gazing into the distance over reedbeds, his long hair tousled by the breeze.

ALT The cover of an LP of song cycles by Benjamin Britten, performed by Benjamin Luxon (baritone) and David Willison (piano). The cover shows Snape Maltings silhouetted against strong summer sunlight, the river sparkling in front of it; in an inset, Luxon is photographed in an open-necked shirt gazing into the distance over reedbeds, his long hair tousled by the breeze.
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A new resource available just in time for the Aldeburgh Festival: all of the past programme books, back to the first Festival in 1948, are now digitised and can be viewed and downloaded at brittenpearsarts.org/news/al…. #AldeburghFestival

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Born #OTD 100 years ago, Sir Neville Marriner, who made several fine recordings of Britten, is seen here during the 1988 Aldeburgh Festival rehearsing Schnittke's Concerto Grosso No. 3 with the Britten-Pears Orchestra. Photo: Nigel Luckhurst
A group of musicians on stage, cellists sitting and violinists standing, with a conductor amidst them. All are in casual clothes, as this is a rehearsal rather than performance.

ALT A group of musicians on stage, cellists sitting and violinists standing, with a conductor amidst them. All are in casual clothes, as this is a rehearsal rather than performance.
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The Britten Pears Archive retweeted
Britten Pears Arts@BrittenPears
14 Feb 2024
'And I shall love you every moment' Peter Pears to Benjamin Britten, 1943.
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We're delighted to see two of our works on show in "John Craxton: A Modern Odyssey" at @PallantGallery: "Shepherd and Rocks" and "Two Dancers". Do get there to see them if you can! pallant.org.uk/whats-on/john… Images © Pallant House Gallery/Barney Hindle
An art gallery with four modernist landscapes on a grey wall, a white wooden vitrine in front of them.

ALT An art gallery with four modernist landscapes on a grey wall, a white wooden vitrine in front of them.

An art gallery showing various modernist images on bright yellow walls.

ALT An art gallery showing various modernist images on bright yellow walls.

An art gallery showing various modernist images on bright yellow walls.

ALT An art gallery showing various modernist images on bright yellow walls.
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We are thrilled to have been awarded Accredited status by @UKNatArcSector - particularly special today on Britten's 110th birthday
The Red House, Aldeburgh@redhouse_alde
22 Nov 2023
We're delighted to announce that Britten and Pears' archive at the Red House has been awarded Accredited status by the National Archives! bit.ly/47MahGg
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Kathleen Ferrier died on this day 70 years ago. Britten first heard her sing in Handel’s Messiah with Pears at Westminster Abbey in May 1943. He wrote ‘I was impressed immediately by the nobility and beauty of her presence, and by the warmth and deep range of her voice’.
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The Britten Pears Archive retweeted
Britten Pears Arts@BrittenPears
3 Oct 2023
Britten, Reflections on Composition is now available to watch on YouTube and our website: bit.ly/3Q0mXDs Here is a trailer for the film.
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On this day in 1952 Kathleen Ferrier and Gerald Moore gave a recital in @HolySepulchreUK, the National Musicians ' Church, to raise funds for The Musicians' Chapel. Here is the programme from our archive:
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In our latest Archive Treasures article you can find out about Blythburgh Church’s lengthy connection with the Aldeburgh Festival, & how it inspired Benjamin Britten, composer, conductor – & artist! Read here: brittenpearsarts.org/news/ar…
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We are pleased to receive for our archive this poster for a song recital by Nettleship – the dedicatee of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. She directed The Aldeburgh Festival Choir at the first festivals - the white footbridge at @SnapeMaltings was given in memory of her.
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BBC TV made their film on location in Orford church and the ruined Norman chancel there. Perfect settings for a silhouette treatment of the instrumental procession and a torchlit procession during the opening and closing hymn. Great photos of the filming by John Richardson:
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We have received for the archive a lovely bundle of programmes, letters and ephemera from a former stage manager with the English Opera Group. Including this fantastic brochure for the BBC TV entry for the 1969 Italia Prize (which didn’t win).
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Very best wishes to Dame Janet Baker on her 90th birthday today. With fond memories of her visiting the Red House 10 years ago to open our new Archive building. Here she is viewing Britten’s music manuscript for Phaedra in our reading room.
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For International Cat Day today here are photos from our archive of Joan Cross and a young Imogen Holst with their feline friends.
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OTD in 1938 Britten wrote to his publisher Ralph Hawkes after the first rehearsal of his piano concerto 'The piano part wasn't as impossible to play as I feared & with a little practice this week ought to be OK' Here is the programme for the premiere with Britten as soloist.
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To celebrate Yorkshire Day today here are items from two of Britten and Pears' many trips to the county: a receipt for their stay at The Beverley Arms Hotel in 1960 and a programme for their 1946 recital in Bradford.
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Start of a great project here – we’re gathering together copies of all 74 Aldeburgh Festival programme books ready to go off site to be digitised. You’ll be able to view digital copies from our website soon - find out about performances since 1948 and read many great features!
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We've been given this great photo to add to our collections - it shows Britten, Pears and horn player Dennis Brain rehearsing Serenade for a concert at Hampton Court in July 1947. This is our first photo of the 3 men together – an amazing image!
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