 While Downes worked with many of the world's symphony orchestras, he enjoyed a particularly long relationship with the BBC Philharmonic (formerly the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra), serving as its Chief Guest Conductor, then Principal Conductor, and finally as Conductor Emeritus.Downes was noted for his championing of British music, and especially for Prokofiev and Verdi.He advocated the symphonies of George Lloyd (also conducting a radio performance of "John Socman") and premiered works by Alan Bush, Peter Maxwell Davies and Malcolm Arnold.