Tony Britten Composer, conductor, filmmaker and writer Music has been in Tony’s bones since he was a young boy: encouraged to learn the piano by an aunt at the age of eight; he started composing very early in life. Tony, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, left Trinity in 1973 and embarked upon a successful career as a film, television & theatre composer and conductor. When asked about his time at Trinity, Tony said “It was wonderful to be one of the founder members of the Trinity Boys’ Choir. I was a good boy treble and it was thrilling to have the opportunity to sing at amazing venues such as the Royal Opera House, where I played Yniold in Pierre Boulez’s acclaimed Pelleas et Melisande. In fact, you could say that my career has been on a downward spiral ever since! I loved music and acting, but I was not the best at settling into academic work.” These days, Tony takes great pleasure in undertaking massive research projects for his films, making use of the British library and travelling around the country as he explores his subject matter.
“If, when I was a schoolboy, you had told me I would be doing such deep, serious research, I would have laughed in your face!” Among his many credits, Tony’s work includes orchestrating and conducting the legendary National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls, conducting the film Robocop and composing the scores for many television dramas and films. He wrote the contemporary English libretti and chamber music orchestrations for ten ‘mainstream’ operas for his company Music Theatre London (MTL), including Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro which was turned into a highly-praised three-part series for BBC2.
In 1999, having taken over directorial duties at MTL, Tony turned his attention to film making, his first production being Bohème - a radical, funny and touching version of Puccini’s opera, recorded in English and set in a disused flour mill. Tony went on to make many more films, including a drama documentary about his namesake: Benjamin Britten – Peace and Conflict. The film charts composer Benjamin Britten’s life and works and highlights the pacificism nurtured in him as a pupil at Gresham’s School in Norfolk, which became a prevailing influence on the composer. Tony is very proud of the film: “Britten’s centenary was approaching and I conducted a significant amount of research into the project, including several stints at the Red House in Aldeburgh and work with the Head of History at Gresham’s.” Tony researched verbatim conversations from back copies of school magazines and unpublished entries from Britten’s diaries. The young actor who played Britten as a boy, Alex Lawther, went on to become a notable film star (he played the young Alan Turing in The Imitation Game). Tony is delighted he gave Alex his first film role. Incredibly, Benjamin Britten – Peace and Conflict sold all around the world apart from the UK. Fortunately for us, the film is available on The Arts Channel and on DVD.
Tony launched The Arts Channel in June 2020, having identified a gap in the market. He hopes the new channel will become the “curator for the curious” as he seeks to acquire and co-produce films and series about music and the arts from around the world. The Arts Channel aims to deliver work across all arts genres that would otherwise not be aired in the UK. When asked why certain films do not make it to television, Tony said: “It is difficult to get new work commissioned on mainstream TV in the UK unless you feature a well-known presenter and it is of a specific length. In the Sixties, Hugh Weldon told Ken Russell to go out and make something for the Monitor programme, but not to spend much. Russell came back with some of the best films about composers ever made, including Delius – Song of Summer.” Tony wants to commission new and exciting projects from film makers who do not have the opportunity to experience the apprenticeships that previous generations benefitted from at the BBC. “It’s what drives me. The technology is getting better and better and the equipment is there, you just need the will and expertise. There are no boundaries anymore.” Tony is delighted Trinity School has taken out a subscription to The Arts Channel:
“I hope The Arts Channel will give young people at the school access to material they would not otherwise see. I like to think learning about the arts at the school will be enhanced through what’s on offer.”
Tony believes there will be a real sea change in the artistic landscape post COVID. “As with sporting events, people will have sorely missed going to the theatre, live music performances and the cinema. People will be aching to flock back and will appreciate the arts all the more having been deprived of the opportunity for so long.”
Tony Britten at his workstation
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Tony in the audience at our Celebrity Organ Recital
Tony is perhaps best-known for having composed the Champions League Anthem, commissioned by UEFA in 1992. UEFA wanted an anthem that reflected the best in football at a time when the beautiful game was attracting bad press sparked by hooliganism. Having prepared a playlist of classical anthems to get a feel for what UEFA wanted, Tony came up with this now iconic piece of music. Tony recorded the anthem at a studio in Islington with the choir from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The anthem has captivated players and fans alike across Europe’s football stadiums. It is said to have motivated Messi and inspired Ronaldo to sing along. Bayern Munich’s captain Steffan Effenberg is reported to have said that whenever he hears the music, the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Tony said: “To be honest, at the time, we had no idea how big it would become, and now with CBS Sport acquiring the Champions League rights for the States, it's set to become even more popular worldwide” We asked Tony whether UEFA ever requested changes to the Anthem: “Every so often UEFA
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look to rebrand, but not so the Champions League Anthem – they have been told that it is their single strongest branding - as important as the colour red is to Coca-Cola. We tried messing around with it, and even produced a funk version, which worked really well. We sent it to the broadcasters and they agreed it was great, but they decided they would stick to the original.” Tony is incredibly impressed with the facilities available in the music department at Trinity: “When I was at Trinity, there were six windowless practice rooms, including the Director of Music, David Squibb’s office and a music room for choir rehearsals. What Trinity has now is mind-boggling following the refurbishment of ‘Big School’ to become Trinity Concert Hall and a whole new building devoted to music that most universities would be insanely jealous of.” Tony can often be found at Trinity School: “I was delighted when the Headmaster gave me the honour of presenting the prizes at Prize Giving in 2019 – that makes me a serious alumnus, right?” www.tonybritten.co.uk www.theartschannel.online
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