Composer Sir John Rutter CBE will officially unveil a new statue of Benjamin Britten as a boy in Lowestoft on Monday 10th November at 2pm.
The unveiling takes place in Kitchener’s Garden (also known as the Twinning Gardens), near Claremont Pier, and marks a major milestone for the Britten as a Boy campaign — a project celebrating the composer’s roots and inspiring future generations.
Sir John Rutter, who turned 80 this year, sang under Britten’s direction as a member of his school choir in the 1963 recording of the War Requiem — an experience he has described as deeply inspiring.
The ceremony will include the formal gifting of the statue from the Britten as a Boy Statue Committee to East Suffolk Council, dedicated “to the children of the town.”
A highlight of the event will be the premiere of a specially composed song, “What Bliss is Home”, written by Suffolk composer Ben Parry with lyrics by Zeb Soanes. The piece takes its title from a diary entry Britten made at 15, expressing his love for his hometown of Lowestoft. It will be performed by local schoolchildren.
The statue’s unveiling celebrates Britten’s legacy in the town where he was born, aiming to inspire creativity and ambition among young people for generations to come.
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