Britten’s disc: the 1966 recording of the composer and Downside School choir
Back in 1966, Benjamin Britten, the great 20th century composer, made several visits to Croydon and, in particular, Downside School in Purley.
The school no longer exists but back then Britten must have thought very highly of their music department, as he conducted the choir singing his A New Year Carol and later in the same year the school choir sang on his recording of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Retired teacher Paul Wilson has been looking into Britten’s links with Downside School.
Wilson is eager to contact any of the choir who sang with the maestro, and glean their memories of working with him.
Wilson writes a music blog, which is where he can be contacted (scroll to the bottom of a page for the contact form) on pswcritic.com .
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
