Following the monumental 3000-set Limited Edition Complete Works, we are delighted to present four boxed sets which together present Britten’s Complete Works.

In each of the genres represented here, Britten created works which defined and shaped their genres going forward: opera was never the same after Peter Grimes in 1945; War Requiem re-defined the Oratorio genre; Britten’s extraordinary gifts for choosing and setting texts, as well as his life-long artistic relationship with Peter Pears, reshaped the Song Cycle for the late 20th century; while his pioneering works like Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and works for children to perform showed the world how composers could connect to and educate a wide audience. The sheer range of his creative work, and output, is astonishing.

Each set comes with a detailed article by Andrew Huth, full track listings and recording information.

The Complete Works of each genre - conducted by Britten where Britten recorded the work – contains all works with opus numbers and all works commercially recorded to date, including folksongs, but excluding Purcell realisations and Hindmarsh’s arrangements of incidental music to King Arthur and World of the Spirit.

Contents
CD 1
- War Requiem
Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Melos Ensemble, London Symphony Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

CD 2
- Spring Symphony
Jennifer Vyvyan, Peter Pears, Norma Proctor
Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Benjamin Britten

- Cantata Academica (Carmen basilienses)
Jennifer Vyvyan, Helen Watts, Peter Pears, Owen Brannigan
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / George Malcolm

- Hymn to St Cecilia
London Symphony Chorus / George Malcolm

CD 3
- Saint Nicolas
Peter Pears
Aldeburgh Festival Choir & Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

- Five Flower Songs
Elizabethan Singers / Louis Halsey

- Cantata Misericordium
Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Benjamin Britten

CD 4
- A Boy Was Born
The Purcell Singers, Boys Voices Of The English Opera Group / Benjamin Britten
 
- Corpus Christi Carol
John Hahessy, Benjamin Britten

- A Wealden Trio: Christmas Song of the Women
- The Sycamore Tree
- A Shepherd's Carol
The Wilbye Consort, Peter Pears

- Christ's Nativity
BBC Singers / Steuart Bedford

- A Ceremony of Carols
Enid Simon, Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten

- The Holly and the Ivy
Elizabethan Singers / Louis Halsey

CD 5
- Songs from 'Friday Afternoons'
Choir of Downside School, Purley / Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten

- Psalm 150
Downside School Choir & Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

- Three Two-Part Songs
New London Children's Choir / Alexander Wells

- Two Two-Part Songs
Elizabethan Singers / Louis Halsey

- The Birds
John Hahessy, Benjamin Britten

- A Hymn to the Virgin
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

- Jubilate Deo in E flat
Truro Cathedral Choir / Christopher Gray

- Te Deum in C
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge / Philip Ledger

- Advance Democracy
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

- Deus in Adjutorium Meum (Psalm 70)
The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge / Richard Marlow

- A.M.D.G.
London Sinfonietta Chorus / Terry Edwards

CD 6
- Rejoice in the Lamb
The Purcell Singers / Benjamin Britten 

- Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
- Chorale (After an Old French Carol)
Elizabethan Singers / Louis Halsey 

- Festival Te Deum
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

- A Wedding Anthem
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

- A Hymn to St Peter
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

- Antiphon
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers

- Missa Brevis
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

CD 7
- Jubilate Deo in C
Brian Runnett, Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

- Venite Exultemus Domino (Psalm 95)
Choir of Trinity College / Richard Marlow

- A Hymn of St Columba
Choir of St John's College, Cambridge / George Guest

- God Save the Queen
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Benjamin Britten

- Voices for Today
Cambridge University Musical Society Chorus
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge / David Willcocks

- Sacred and Profane
Wilbye Consort, Peter Pears

- Welcome Ode
Suffolk Schools Orchestra & Jubilee Choir / Keith Shaw

- Praise We Great Men
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Simon Rattle

CD 8
- Quatre Chansons Françaises
Jill Gomez
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Simon Rattle

- Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal
Neil Mackie, Barry Tuckwell
Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Steuart Bedford

- Our Hunting Fathers
Elisabeth Söderström
Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera / Richard Armstrong

- Ballad of Heroes
Robert Tear
City Of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Simon Rattle

- Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell
London Symphony Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

CD 9
- Les Illuminations
Peter Pears
English Chamber Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

- Three Songs
Sandrine Piau
Northern Sinfonia / Thomas Zehetmair

- Nocturne
Peter Pears
London Symphony Orchestra / Benjamin Britten

- Phaedra
Janet Baker
English Chamber Orchestra / Steuart Bedford

CD 10
- Canticles I-V
Peter Pears, John Hahessy, James Bowman, John Shirley-Quirk, Barry Tuckwell, Benjamin Britten

- A Birthday Hansel
Peter Pears, Osian Ellis

- Sweeter than Roses (Purcell arr. Britten)
James Bowman, Benjamin Britten

CD 11 The Song Cycles I
- The Heart of the Matter
Neil Mackie, Barry Tuckwell, Roger Vignoles, Peter Pears

- Tit for Tat
John Shirley-Quirk, Benjamin Britten

- On This Island
Barbara Bonney, Malcolm Martineau

- Four Cabaret Songs
Caryl Hughes, Malcolm Martineau

- Seven Sonnets of Michaelangelo
Peter Pears, Benjamin  Britten

CD 12 The Song Cycles II
- The Holy Sonnets of John Donne
Peter Pears, Benjamin  Britten

- A Charm of Lullabies
Pamela Bowden, Peter Gelhorn

- Winter Words
Peter Pears, Benjamin  Britten

- If it's Ever Spring Again
- The Children and Sir Nameless
Robin Tritschler, Malcolm Martineau

- Songs from the Chinese
Peter Pears, Julian Bream

- Six Hölderlin Fragments
Peter Pears, Benjamin  Britten

CD 13 The Song Cycles III
- The Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Benjamin Britten

- The Poet's Echo
Galina Vishnevskaya, Mstislav Rostropovich

- Who Are these Children?
Peter Pears, Benjamin  Britten

- Dawtie's Devotion
- The Gully
- Tradition
Nicky Spence, Malcolm Martineau

CD 14 Early & Miscellaneous Songs
1. Beware!
Philip Smith, Malcolm Martineau

2. O That I Had Ne'er Been Married
Nicky Spence, Malcolm Martineau

3. Epitaph: The Clerk
Philip Smith, Malcolm Martineau

4. Of A' the Airts the Wind Can Blaw
Nicky Spence, Malcolm Martineau

5. A Dirge
James Geer, Malcolm Martineau

6. Prithee
Andrew Tortise, Malcolm Martineau

7. The Joy Of Grief
Katherine Broderick, Malcolm Martineau

8. Virtue In Deeds Not Words
Caryl Hughes, Malcolm Martineau

9. From "Lucy"
Ben Johnson, Malcolm Martineau

10. Dans les Bois
Elizabeth Atherton, Malcolm Martineau

11. Lilian
Philip Smith, Malcolm Martineau

12. Diaphenia
13. The Owl
Andrew Swait, Andrew Plant

14. Witches' Song
James Bowman, Andrew Plant

15. O Why Did E're My Thought Aspire
Benedict Nelson, Malcolm Martineau

16. Chamber Music V
Allan Clayton, Malcolm Martineau

17. Song: Take O Take Those Lips Away
Robin Tritschler, Malcolm Martineau

Two Ballads For Two Voices & Piano
18. 1. Mother Comfort
19. 2. Underneath the Abject Willow
Felicity Lott, Ann Murray, Graham Johnson

20. A Poison Tree
21. Not Even Summer Yet
22. The Red Cockatoo
Benjamin Hulett, Malcolm Martineau

Fish In The Unruffled Lake
23. To Lie Flat On the Back
24. Night Covers Up the Rigid Land
25. The Sun Shines Down
26. Fish In the Unruffled Lakes
27. What's In Your Mind?
28. Underneath the Abject Willow
Robin Tritschler, James Geer, Benjamin Hulett, Malcolm Martineau

29. Wild With Passion
30. If Thou Wilt Ease Thine Heart
31. Cradle Song ("Sleep, My Darling, Sleep")
32. Birthday Song For Erwin
Benjamin Hulett, Malcolm Martineau

33. Um Mitternacht
James Geer, Malcolm Martineau

CD 15 Folksongs I
Traditional
1. The Foggy Foggy Dew (arr. Britten)
2. Sally In Our Alley

Charles Dibdin
3. Tom Bowling (arr. Britten)

Traditional
4. The Lincolnshire Poacher
5. A Brisk Young Widow (arr. Britten)
6. O Waly Waly
7. Sweet Polly Oliver
8. Early One Morning (arr. Britten)
9. The Bonny Earl o'Moray (arr. Britten)
10. The Ash Grove
11. Come You Not From Newcastle
12. Le Roi S En Va-T En Chasse
13. La Belle est au jardin d'amour
14. The Minstrel Boy
15. How Sweet The Answer
16. The Last Rose Of Summer
17. Avenging and Bright
18. Oft In The Stilly Night
19. The Miller Of Dee
20. Ca The Yowes
21. The Plough Boy
22. The Sally Gardens (arr. Britten)
23. Little Sir William (arr. Britten)
24. Oliver Cromwell
25. Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! (trans. Rogers, arr. Britten)
26. There's None To Soothe (arr. Britten)
Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten

27. Il est quelqu'un sur terre (arr. Britten )

Folk Song Arrangements (British Isles)
28. O can ye sew cushions?
Peter Pears, Osian Ellis

29. The Trees They Grow So High (arr. Britten)
Philip Langridge, Graham Johnson

Traditional from France
30. Voici le Printemps
31. Fileuse
32. Quand j'étais chez mon pere
Sophie Wyss, Benjamin Britten

CD 16 Folksongs II
Traditional
1. I Will Give My Love An Apple
2. The Sailor-Boy
3. Master Kilby
4. The Soldier and The Sailor
5. The Shooting Of His Dear
Robert Tear, Timothy Walker

6. Bonny At Morn
Philip Langridge, Osian Ellis

7. Greensleeves
Philip Langridge, Felicity Lott, Graham Johnson

Traditional, John Jacob Niles
8. I Wonder As I Wander

Traditional
9. The Crocodile

Charles Burney
10. Pray Goody
Philip Langridge, Graham Johnson

Traditional
11. At The Mid Hour Of Night
Felicity Lott, Graham Johnson

12. Dear Harp Of My Country! (Kate Tyrrel)
13. O The Sight Entrancing
Philip Langridge, Graham Johnson

14. Sail On, Sail On
15. Rich And Rare
Felicity Lott, Graham Johnson

16. La Noel Passée
17. Eho! Eho!
Philip Langridge, Graham Johnson

18. The Holly And The Ivy
Felicity Lott, Graham Johnson

19. Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?
20. The Deaf Woman's Courtship
Philip Langridge, Felicity Lott, Graham Johnson

21. The Stream in the Valley
Philip Langridge, Christopher van Kampen

22. Unidentified Folk Song Setting
Christopher van Kampen, Graham Johnson

23. Lord! I Married Me a Wife
24. She's Like The Swallow
25. Lemady
26. Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn ("I Was Lonely and Forlorn")

David Owen
27. Dafyd Y Garreg Wen (David Of The White Rock)

Traditional
28. The False Knight Upon The Road
29. Bird Scarer's Song
Philip Langridge, Osian Ellis