This article places in historical context the three operas written by Alan Ridout for the choir of Canterbury Cathedral during the 1960s. Analysis of these works and their gestation is presented as a microcosm representing wider developments in music education since then. The analysis weaves together personal recollections, authenticated through correspondence with teachers and other alumni involved, combined with the examination of archive material, and with musical and textual analysis. The works themselves remain fresh and worthy of performance today, while the intentions behind them represent a mirror through which the role of musical creativity in contemporary education will be considered.