The cancer had not spread beyond the thyroid, and, in eighty-six minutes, we removed the fleshy, butterfly-shaped organ, carefully detaching it from the trachea and from the nerves to the vocal cords.

NEWYORKER: Personal Best

For the "War Requiem, " Britten assembled a large orchestra, a smaller chamber orchestra, two organs, three vocal soloists, a chorus and a boys' choir (positioned at a distance, with a portable organ or harmonium).

WSJ: The Sounds of Sacrifice | Benjamin Britten | War Requiem | Masterpiece by Stuart Isacoff