Collection
PG
Programmes collection
circa 1900-present
An extensive collection of programmes from circa 1900 to the present day, of concerts and opera performances in the UK and abroad.
These include programmes for;
1) performances of Britten works, including most first performances.
2) concert and stage performances involving Benjamin Britten and/or Peter Pears.
3) performances involving associates of Britten and Pears, for example, Joan Cross, Nancy Evans and others.
4) birthday, memorial and anniversary concerts or events celebrating the lives of Britten, Pears and their associates.
5) concerts celebrating other events, for example, the opening of a concert hall or anniversary of a music college or orchestra.
6) concert or stage performances attended by Britten and/or Pears.
7) performances and events held at the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts.
8) performances at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and other local venues, outside the June festival season such as Rostropovich Festivals, Bach at Long Melford concerts, Benson and Hedges Music Festivals, Spring Weekends, Easter Festival, Snape Proms and Britten Festival.
9) programme books for festivals other than Aldeburgh Festival, for example, Norfolk and Norwich and Festival, King's Lynn Festival and Edinburgh International Festival.
10) opera performances, for example, productions at Sadler's Wells Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden or Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
11) BBC Third Programme and Henry Wood Promenade Concerts.
12) some, mostly London, theatre performances.
13) other concerts or events of interest, for example, performances of works dedicated to Britten.
The collection includes programmes from the UK, as well as programmes from around the world.
Cataloguing is still in progress for our performance collections, however the catalogue currently includes records up to the 1960s.
Programmes that are not already held in the collection for performances by Britten and/or Pears or for performances of Britten works are acquired whenever possible.
The programmes are arranged chronologically.
69 boxes (approx 3 cubic metres)
Some programmes were collected by Britten and Pears, others have been received from many different sources.
Compiled by Judith Tydeman, Aug 2004.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
There are indexes to the programmes of performances involving Britten and/or Pears, and of pre-1951 performances of Britten works by other artists. For performances of Britten works, there are card indexes by work, place and date. For performances by Britten and/or Pears of works by composers other than Britten, there are card indexes by composer and work, and by place.
See collection reference EOG for programmes for performances by the English Opera Group/English Music Theatre Company.
See collection reference AMC for programmes for performances by the Aldeburgh Music Club.
Archive
https://www.bpacatalogue.org/archive/PG
