Benjamin Britten coast close to Britten's homeland, awakened in him such longings for England that he knew he must return. He also knew that he must write an opera based on Crabbe's poem about the fisherman Peter Grimes. Before Britten left the US, Koussevitzky, always generous in encouraging new talent, offered him a $1,000 commission to write the opera. Britten and Pears returned to England in April 1942. During the long transatlantic sea crossing Britten completed the choral works "A Ceremony of Carols" and "Hymn to St Cecilia". The latter was his last large-scale collaboration with Auden. Britten had grown away from
The National Anthem (Benjamin Britten) The National Anthem (Benjamin Britten) The National Anthem is a 1962 choral and orchestral arrangement of "God Save the Queen" by Benjamin Britten. The arrangement was written for the Leeds Festival. It has been described as an "extraordinary progression from pianissimo prayer to pealing, overlapping choral fortissimo". The piece was performed by Britten and the English Chamber Orchestra, along with the overture "The Building of the House", at the openings of two English concert halls in 1967. The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a purpose-built music venue on the South Bank in London which opened in March 1967. Britten prepared