I shall never forget the impact made on me by the Japanese theatre”. This was Britten, broadcasting to Japan in 1958, two years after his memorable trip to the country in 1956. He had visited as part of a Far East tour beginning in 1955 and which included stays in Bali, Hong Kong and India. The whole trip had a deep and lasting influence on his compositions from around that time onwards, and perhaps most significantly on his 1964 Church Parable Curlew River. This podcast, hosted by Dr Lucy Walker, explores the background to this fascinating work, including the specific influence of the Japanese Nō play Britten attended, twice, in 1956: Sumidigawa.

Britten's A Ceremony of Carols is one of his most popular choral works - and it very much comes into its own at this time of year. In this podcast Dr Lucy Walker explores both the beautiful music of this piece, and its riveting backstory which involves a pioneering harpist, a Canadian bookshop, and a perilous crossing across the Atlantic. She is joined by three musicians who regularly take part in performances of A Ceremony of Carols: harpist Miriam Keogh, soprano Madeleine Holmes, and conductor Ben Vonberg-Clark.

Lucy Walker looks back at the remarkable history of the Friday Afternoons project: from its origins as a set of school songs by Britten in the 1930s, to its international launchpad in Britten's centenary year, to its current incarnation, and to where the project goes next.

Dr Lucy Walker explores the importance of song and singing in Benjamin Britten’s life and work.

In this special edition, musician and expert on choral music Joe McHardy joins Dr Lucy Walker for a lively and wide-ranging conversation about the life and times of composers William Byrd and Thomas Weelkes, including some stunning extracts from Byrd’s music.

Soprano Elise Caluwaerts has a wide and varied career as a singer, and has been involved in several fascinating creative projects during the recent lockdowns. She is also planning a project based around the songs of Alma Mahler in 2022.

Sculptor Hannah Honeywill has been on a Creative Retreat in collaboration with Britten Pears Arts and The Royal Society of Sculptors. She has been working on a project inspired by the relationship between Britten and Pears, and the fact that they had to keep it hidden for most of their lives.

Hannah Fiddy is the co-founder (with Hanna Grzeskiewicz) of Alternative Classical - an organisation which aims to attract new audiences to classical music through a brilliantly creative mix of live and virtual projects.

James Thornton is an environmental lawyer and CEO of ClientEarth, an organisation dedicated to global environmental change through legal process, literally advocating for their 'client' the earth. James is also a music-lover, with a great interest in the music of Britten; and a Buddhist: drawn to the interconnectedness of things in the universe, and how such connections can effect great change.

Following the performances of BEAM: Everybody Can Stand in their Own Light at Snape Maltings, Lucy Walker caught up with some of the team that put this wonderful show together.

For the first of two podcasts about premieres in our 'Summer at Snape' season, Lucy Walker talks to composer Tansy Davies about her new work 'Monolith: I Extend My Arms', commissioned by Britten Pears Arts. Tansy Davies' new piece for string orchestra and percussion, 'Monolith: I Extend My Arms' will be premiered at Snape Maltings on 26 June 2021 (a Britten Pears Arts commission). Tune in for a conversation about this piece, and about other fascinating compositions - including Tansy's operas 'Between Worlds' and 'Cave', and the horn piece 'Yoik'. Plus, some brilliant additions to our Podcast Playlist, and some further choices from Tansy: Frank Denyer, 'The Fish That Became The Sun' https://anothertimbre.bandcamp.com/album/the-fish-that-became-the-sun; and her own 'The rule is love' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOhPSzg4XyM&list=RDIOhPSzg4XyM&start_radio=1.

This week, Lucy is joined by soprano Samantha Crawford and pianist Lana Bode to talk about their new collaborative project dream.risk.sing: elevating women's voices.

This week, Lucy is joined by organist, harpsichordist, choral conductor, and Director of Music of HM Chapel Royal, Joseph McHardy.

This week, Lucy is joined by Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, Chief Executive of UK Music and Trustee of Britten Pears Arts

This week, Lucy Walker is joined by writer, historian and curator Dr Anna Maria Barry.

We are thrilled to be launching Season 3 with a very special guest. Reverend Richard Coles is a Church of England priest, broadcaster, writer, and former popstar.

This weeks podcast guest is Anna Lapwood: organist, broadcaster, and Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge.

This week’s podcast guest is Dr Natasha Loges, Head of Postgraduate Programmes at the Royal College of Music, and with a particular research interest in song.

Our From The Red House podcast for Britten’s birthday is actually From The Red House! Lucy Walker is joined by Britten Pears Arts colleagues Sarah Bardwell (Executive Director) and Nicholas Clark (Librarian).

The composer Errollyn Wallen is Lucy Walker’s guest on our podcast this week. Errollyn is one of the most prolific composers working today, with a remarkable back catalogue of works covering a huge range range of styles and genres.