Britten's Two Portraits for strings - the composer himself called them 'Sketches' - were composed in August and September 1930 during the summer holidays preceding the sixteen-year-old composer's first term at the RoyalCollege of Music in London.Both are musical depictions of character the first portraying Britten's school friend David Layton and the second introducing a solo Viola (Britten's own string instrument) a self-portraitof the composer. According to Britten's diary he planned to compose a third portrait again for strings that was to depict another school friend Peter Floyd but this movement was not written. However David Layton was to beportrayed again though very differently in Britten's later quartet suite Alla Quartetto Serioso (1933) itself revised and re-titled in 1936 as Three Divertimenti.The Pencil manuscript score in theBritten-Pears Library at Aldeburgh although hastily written is very detailed ad dynamics and phrasing are carefully notated throughout. However in several places in the first 'Portrait' the notes themselves are either difficultto decipher or due to the highly chromatic nature of the music difficult to interpret - in some cases Britten has clearly made notational 'spelling' mistakes which have been silently corrected in this editon. A list ofthose places where the reading of the manuscript is doubtful may be obtained from the Britten-Pears Library Aldeburgh.As with virtually all orchestral music from his youth Britten did not hear either 'Portrait'performed. The first performance of Two Portraits was given by the Northern Sinfonia conducted by Martyn Brabbins broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on 5th December 1995 as part of a series entitled 'Britten's Apprenticeship'.The first concert performance of Portrait No.1 was given by the Britten Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andreas Mitisek at the Konzerthaus Schubert-Saal Vienna on 10th February 1996. The first concert performance of

Oper in zwei Akten-BILLY BUDD OP. 50Opera in Two ActsPublisher: Boosey & HawkesVocal ScoreComposer: Benjamin Britten336 pages

Par BRITTEN BENJAMIN. Benjamin Britten est terminé dernière composition, ' Bienvenue Ode ' a été écrit pour orchestre et la chorale de l'école. Les trois mouvements - Jig, cocarde et Canon, transcrit ici pour les chaînes, forment une Suite qui ensembles familiers avec Britten précédemment ' Simple Sdymphoney ' trouveront tout aussi stimulant et gratifiant./ Répertoire / Set de Cordes

These settings of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins the Jesuit poet were written while Benjamin Britten was resident in America.The title is a shorthand form of a pious inscription Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam often placed at the head of a piece of work.Benjamin Britten was a central figure of 20th century British classical music with a range of works including opera other vocal music orchestral and chamber pieces.

Par BRITTEN BENJAMIN. The Oxen is a lamenting poem of Thomas Hardy's set to music by esteemed composer Benjamin Britten, arranged for upper voices with piano accompaniment.   / Choral Music / Répertoire / Voix Hautes et Piano

Bassoon-Metamorphoses after Britten was written for Melinda Maxwell for UYMP's Signals volume of new music for Oboe. It was first performed by Melinda at York University on 24th November 2010.I - A MountainII -FixationIII - FlowersIV - Fountains Metamorphoses after Britten by philipvenables 'Metamorphoses after Britten arejust that: four miniatures each inspired by one of Benjamin Britten’s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe. Each movement over its short course transforms gradually from one thing to another ending with the exception ofFountains in a short cathartic coda. Some of the movements also take specific musical elements from Britten’s pieces.I very much viewed these pieces as musical Haiku and in that sense I hope they embody a sense ofpeace brevity and simplicity.The oboe version of Metamorphoses after Britten is dedicated to Melinda Maxwell.The saxophone version of Metamorphoses after Britten with an additional movement is dedicated to Vickiand Andrew Vaughan'      - Philip Venables     

Saxophone-Metamorphoses after Britten was written for Melinda Maxwell for UYMP's Signals volume of new music for Oboe. It was first performed by Melinda at York University on 24th November 2010.I - A MountainII -FixationIII - FlowersIV - Fountains Metamorphoses after Britten by philipvenables 'Metamorphoses after Britten arejust that: four miniatures each inspired by one of Benjamin Britten’s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe. Each movement over its short course transforms gradually from one thing to another ending with the exception ofFountains in a short cathartic coda. Some of the movements also take specific musical elements from Britten’s pieces.I very much viewed these pieces as musical Haiku and in that sense I hope they embody a sense ofpeace brevity and simplicity.The oboe version of Metamorphoses after Britten is dedicated to Melinda Maxwell.The saxophone version of Metamorphoses after Britten with an additional movement is dedicated to Vickiand Andrew Vaughan'      - Philip Venables     

Benjamin Britten composed his Occasional Overture Op.38 for the opening of the BBC Third Programme on 29th September 1946 when it was performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult. It was not heard again until 1982 when the composer’s Executors decided that it should be revived. Given the dominance of brass and woodwind in this concise but exciting work versions for brass band and wind band have been prepared for Britten’s centenary year. Brass Band Grade 6: Championship. Duration: 8 Minutes.

The fifth variation in Britten's third opus the Corpus Christi Carol finds words in a hymn first found in the early 16th century music was later added by Peter Warlock and then in 1933 by Benjamin Britten.Ithas been arranged by the composer from his Choral Variations and edited by David Willcocks.

Benjamin Britten's War Requiem Op.66 includes words from the Missa pro defunctis and the poems of Wilfred Owen.Commissioned to write a work to celebrate the rebuilding of the bomb-damaged Coventry Cathedral in 1962 Britten used the opportunity to write a large-scale composition embodying his deeply held pacifist and humanitarian beliefs. The result the War Requiem is a timeless expression of the brutality and inhumanity of war.

These two previously-unpublished Psalm settings were written while Benjamin Britten was studying at the Royal College of Music in London but despite encouragement from Ireland Vaughan Williams and Howells werenever performed during the composer's life. Scored for chorus and orchestra the contrasting movements show many of the traits so loved in Britten's later music. After being unearthed again from archives the premiere ofTwo Psalms was given on 1 December 2012 by the Oxford Bach Choir and English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Cleobury.Out Of The Deep and Praise Ye The Lord for SATB chorus andorchestra.Vocal Score.

Oper in zwei Akten-Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd based on Herman Melville's story is one of the 20th Century's most tragic operas and the only opera with an all-male cast. Britten's haunting music evokes the sea the sailors' songs and the harsh realities of a seaman's life on a British 18th-century man-of-war. This is the hardback Hawkes Study Score edition.

Written for the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral Benjamin Britten's War Requiem Op.66 was first performed there on the 30th May 1962. The War Requiem was not meant to be a pro-British piece or a glorification of British soldiers but a public statement of Britten's anti-war convictions. This a Vocal Score for SATB chorus arranged by Imogen Holst. The full score for SATB and Orchestra can be found here .