Snape Maltings

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Snape Maltings concert hall

Snape Maltings concert hall in 1975

Snape Maltings is part of Snape, Suffolk, U.K., best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival.

The Maltings is a set of buildings, mostly dating from the 19th century, built on the banks of the River Ore in Snape, Suffolk, England. Its original purpose was the malting of barley for the brewing of beer; local barley, once malted, was sent from here to London and exported to mainland Europe. The Maltings closed in 1960. The buildings have since been partially restored and rebuilt (some remain dilapidated) and converted into shops, galleries, and the concert hall, where part of the world-famous Aldeburgh music festival is held.

The Holst Library is connected to the Maltings. Many of the original contents were donated by Imogen Holst, who was a close friend of Benjamin Britten and an artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival from 1956 to 1977, and it was named the Gustav Holst Library as a memorial to her father. According to her press release for the Aldeburgh Festival Office, "the Gustav Holst Library will be a working library for the use of the students. It is being called after him in gratitude for his music and his teaching."

The library was officially opened by HM the Queen Mother and is open by appointment. It is situated in two rooms on the second floor of the BPP buildings in the Snape Maltings complex. The collection comprises books, scores and audio materials (LP, tape and CD) covering many genres. Much of the Library’s stock is available for searching on the web catalogue of the Britten-Pears Library.