英闻天下——365 Britain Celebrates Benjamin Britten's Centenary

 　　Some 150 kilometers northeast of London, students from Suffolk's local schools are practising in the Snape Maltings Concert Hall the Old Abram Brown, one of the twelve songs composed by Britten 80 years ago and published as Friday Afternoons.

 

　　"It so happens as Britten's anniversary is Friday, the 22nd of November, 2013, the hundredth anniversary."

 

　　Jonathan Reekie, one of the organizers of the celebrations, is Chief Executive of the annual Aldeburgh Festival, which was co-founded by Britten in 1948.

 

　　"So we had the simple idea that on that day, we'll get as many children as possible to sing some or all of the Friday Afternoons. We set up a website (fridayafternoons.co.uk). And on that website, we put everything that any school or children's music group needs to take part in this project. And it's free to anybody who registers. We have no idea of knowing how many children will take part. We think conservatively perhaps 100,000 within the UK. This great celebration of a great man will culminate¹ on 22nd of November, 2013."

 

　　Britten, whose best known works include the opera Peter Grimes and choral masterpiece War Requiem², has been called the Greatest Musician of the 20th Century.

 

　　His centenary is being celebrated³ around the world.

 

　　Kevin Gosling is Director of Communications of the Britten-Pears Foundation, which will provide over six million pounds to mark the anniversary.

 

　　"The Britten centenary is being celebrated in 39 countries around the world, including in China, which is very exciting as I think Britten's music may be unfamiliar⁴ to many Chinese concert goers. Just recently there was the first performance of a Britten opera in China by Northern Ireland Opera, who performed Britten's children's opera, Noye's Fludde, in Beijing. And at the moment, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is featuring several events on Britten's songs and other works."

 

　　Other activities include Chinese songs, which will be performed in the city of Kent next month.

 

　　Britten was reportedly inspired by songs from the Tang Dynasty.

 

　　And in June, his opera Peter Grimes will headline the Aldeburgh Festival.

 

　　It's going to be staged on the beach in the coastal⁵ town, where Britten used to live.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Tu Yun reporting from London.

1 culminate   

v.到绝顶，达于极点，达到高潮

参考例句：

• The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
• Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。

2 requiem   

n.安魂曲，安灵曲

参考例句：

• I will sing a requiem for the land walkers.我会给陆地上走的人唱首安魂曲。
• The Requiem is on the list for today's concert.《安魂曲》是这次音乐会的演出曲目之一。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

5 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。