Nov. 22, 1963

Browsing on YouTube, I found this recording of a Kol Israel broadcast marking the fiftieth birthday of Benjamin Britten, on Nov. 22, 1963. The announcer is marking a performance of Britten's Piano Concerto, by Thea Raphaeli and the "Kol Israel" Philharmonic Orchestra, when there is a sudden, unexplained silence. The announcer then gives a piece of breaking news: John F. Kennedy has been assassinated. The broadcast then resumes. (If you click on the YouTube logo above and then hit "show more," you can read a full description of the event by Sagiv Raphaeli, the pianist's son.) In London, Britten was marking his birthday by attending a concert performance of Gloriana at Royal Festival Hall; the celebratory mood dissipated as word of Kennedy's death spread through the crowd.