Britten as a Boy

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Britten as a Boy
Britten as a Boy.jpg
Britten as a Boy (2025)
Britten as a Boy
Artist Ian Rank-Broadley
Year2025
Medium Bronze
Subject Benjamin Britten
Location Lowestoft, Suffolk
Coordinates 52°27′54.41″N1°44′40.06″E / 52.4651139°N 1.7444611°E / 52.4651139; 1.7444611
Website https://www.brittenasaboy.com/

Britten as a Boy is a statue of Benjamin Britten in Lowestoft, Suffolk completed in 2025. It depicts Britten as a teenager looking out to the North Sea, at the age at which his musical talents were first discovered by Frank Bridge [1] .

It was sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley, who was chosen due to his excellent previous catalogue of sculpture in the medium of bronze [2] .

The statue is situated at Lord Kitchener's Garden in the Kirkley Cliff area of South Lowestoft. [3] It is located close to his childhood home and the school which he had attended as a child. The pose is intended to evoke Britten looking out of his bedroom window, which inspired his work [4] .

The campaign to fund the statue began in April 2022. [3] The cost of the statue and its installation was £120,000. [3]

It was unveiled on 10 November 2025 by English composer John Rutter. [5] [3]

What Bliss is Home

A newly composed song "What Bliss is Home" [6] , with music by composer Ben Parry and lyrics by Zeb Soanes, was performed at the unveiling ceremony. [3] [5] Both composer and lyricist have a link to the county of Suffolk where Britten was born - Parry was born in Ipswich [7] , and Soanes in Lowestoft.

Plaque accompanying the sculpture, with text after which the composition "What Bliss is Home" was named Britten as a Boy - Plaque.jpg
Plaque accompanying the sculpture, with text after which the composition "What Bliss is Home" was named

References

  1. ↑ "Britten as a Boy Statue". Britten as a Boy Statue. 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  2. ↑ "Unique new statue of Britten as a Boy 'can inspire generations'". East Anglian Daily Times. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Boggis, Mark (2 October 2025). "Special guest to mark statue unveiling on Lowestoft seafront". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Britten as a Boy". Ian Rank-Broadley. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  5. 1 2 Cullingford, Martin (2 October 2025). "Benjamin Britten statue to be unveiled by Sir John Rutter". Gramophone (magazine) . Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Ben Parry - Topic (2025-10-06). What Bliss Is Home . Retrieved 2025-12-21– via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Ben Parry". Opera-Arias.com. Retrieved 2025-12-21.

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