Snape Maltings

Snape Maltings is a group of buildings including a famous concert hall in the village of Snape, Suffolk.  Many concerts are given in the Maltings.  Every year the Aldeburgh Festival has many of its concerts there.  The composer Benjamin Britten used to live in Aldeburgh with the singer Peter Pears.  They started a music school for young people.  The Britten-Pears Foundation still continues today, with many concerts based in the Maltings.  This foundation gives young musicians a chance to learn from famous music teachers and perform at concerts.  Many of them have recently graduated from a music college.

The buildings on the site are mostly from the 19th century.  They are built on the banks of the River Ore. Originally they were built to make barley and beer.  When the barley had been malted it used to be sent  to London and exported to Europe. The Maltings closed during the 1960s. Since then the buildings have been restored and rebuilt to include the famous concert hall.  It was opened in 1967, burnt down in 1969, and rebuilt in 1970. 

The Holst Library is connected to the Maltings and is named in honour of Imogen Holst, the daughter of Gustav Holst, who was a close friend of Benjamin Britten and an artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival from 1956 to 1977.

The concert hall is a place for concerts and many other community activities during the year.  Aldeburgh Music have concerts in June, and in August the Snape Proms take place.  These are concerts at which some audience can by cheap tickets and sit on the floor at the front.  They often take rugs to sit on.

Related pages
Aldeburgh Festival
Benjamin Britten
Peter Pears

Other websites 
http://www.snapemaltings.co.uk/concerts.asp 

Category:Concert halls in England
Category:Buildings and structures in Suffolk