Aldeburgh Festival was opened in the presence of the Queen, this time at the start of the 1970 Festival. The new Concert Hall at Snape Maltings became the main focus for the Aldeburgh Festival, although performances continued to be held at all the former venues. For the first six years of the Aldeburgh Festival, the joint Artistic Directors remained Britten, Pears and Crozier; in 1955, Britten and Pears were in sole charge, then the following year they were joined by Imogen Holst, who remained a member of the Artistic Directorate until her death in 1984. After Britten's own death in 1976, the
Docklands Sinfonia major concert halls including the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Snape Maltings and the Sage Gateshead. Down is also the musical director of Pioneer Brass - a professional ensemble featuring some of Britain's leading orchestral and West End players. Down says his grandfather, who was a trumpeter and a shipwright in the old docks, was his inspiration for setting up Docklands Sinfonia. The conductor, who was brought up in Grays Essex, says his aim is to make the orchestra a 'major cultural force' in the Canary Wharf area. In August 2010, Down founded the first Kew Music