Benjamin Britten’s compositional output was vast, covering every form of music from operas and ballets to simple voice settings of folksongs. He was also a highly respected conductor, solo pianist, accompanist and an eager participant in many chamber groups. His large catalogue of choral works spans the whole of his compositional career, much of his music in this genre employing sacred texts that were derived from contemporary poets. They inspired Britten to fashion some of his most radiant scores, his unique use of boys’ voices providing such a distinctive and exciting tonal quality that his music has come to characterise British church music of the twentieth century.