The British Library has acquired the original manuscript of ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’, one of the most famous compositions of Benjamin Britten (1913-1976). In this draft score, Britten set out his earliest ideas for the piece, finishing on New Year’s Eve 1945. The work would go on to become one of the most frequently performed pieces by any British composer and to introduce generations of schoolchildren to the instruments of the orchestra.

Once Britten had written out the full score of the work, he had no further need for this draft score, and gave it to a friend. It remained completely unknown until last year. The manuscript was sold to an overseas buyer at auction in November 2011, but Culture Minister Ed Vaizey placed a temporary export bar on it, providing a last chance for it to be kept in Britain. The British Library was able to raise the necessary funds to purchase it for the nation.

No earlier sketches for the ‘Young Person’s Guide’ are known to survive, and it seems that Britten composed the piece directly into the present draft score. The manuscript reveals the astonishing fluency with which Britten was able to construct a large-scale work. Almost every aspect of the piece is already worked out in detail in this draft. The final fugue, in particular, is extremely complex, yet there are no signs that Britten struggled with its creation.

The manuscript will feature in an exhibition on Benjamin Britten at the British Library next year, marking the centenary of his birth.