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Britten’s 1953 work marked a turning point in his compositional style. The songs make use of melisma – a system where single syllables are each given different notes - like in 'The Choirmaster’s Burial'. Throughout the cycle Britten paints in music the essence of each poem. 'Midnight on the Great Western', for example, has onomatopoeic train whistles, and employs compassionate harmonies and phrasing to show the boy passenger’s lonely and melancholic journey.

Composer: Benjamin Britten
Performer: Ben Johnson (Tenor)
Performer: Tom Primrose (Piano)
Recording date: 22 January 2012
Date of broadcast: 19 June 2012