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Witness History: Benjamin Britten's War Requiem

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Benjamin Britten's War Requiem

09/06/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem

The emotional first performance at the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962

Regarded as one of the most important pieces in 20th Century English music, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem was first played in the newly-built Coventry Cathedral in 1962. The original had been destroyed during World War II. In 2013, Simon Watts spoke to Maggie Cotton, one of the orchestral performers who took part, and to composer Michael Berkeley, Britten's godson.

(Photo: Benjamin Britten in 1964 - BBC copyright)

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