The church's vicar, the Reverend Tom Mumford, said: "He was amazing with our young choristers, listening to them, asking them questions."

Those accusations were far from the minds of the choristers who reunited on Thursday, who said they remembered "the emotions, the excitement and the fun" of recording with Britten.

“You have to be very specific,” he had said earlier about the way he coaches his choristers, “but you can’t micromanage.”

The chorus has 74 regular members plus 85 extra choristers.

Decca Records has placed an advert in London's Ham & High newspaper, hoping to reassemble the choristers for one last time.