Perhaps one of the greatest musical festivals in the world; the inspiration for The Aldeburgh Festival came in August 1947 when Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Eric Crozier and a group of around forty British artists - the English Opera Group - were travelling across Europe performing Benjamin Britten’s operas Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia to packed audiences in Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland.

While they were delighted with their reception the group mused on the question - why were they going to all the expense and exhaustion of arranging a European tour when British audiences had no British venue in which to experience such fine British operas? It was Peter Pears who came up with what might, at the time, have appeared a pretty cracked idea - an Aldeburgh Festival.

By January 1948 a committee of Aldeburgh folk had been assembled, pledges of support received and plans for the Aldeburgh Festival set in motion. The Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Church and later Orford and Blythburgh Churches were all brought into use as venues for these early concerts and operas and within weeks performances were selling out - The Aldeburgh Festival was born.

Today the Festival, along with a year round programme of arts events, are housed in and around The Snape Maltings Concert Hall. With rustling reeds and the navigable head of the Alde Estuary as its backdrop there are few more beautiful venues to enjoy fine musical performances.

But the setting alone is not enough to create such a successful and enduring annual event. With a composer at the Aldeburgh Festival’s centre, new music was and remains a key element., fresh interpretations of classical repertoire and the rediscovery of forgotten music contributing to the interesting and exciting mix.And always at its heart was the desire to develop the interest and participation of the young. Young composers, musicians and singers both from local schools and around the world have always been an important part of the Festival mix.

Look out for the great Free Events on the Beach, Aldeburgh and summer performances at the Pump House, Aldeburgh, an informal venue showing some really excellent theatrical events.