He showed early musical talent, and by the age of 15 was running the choir and playing the organ for all Sunday services at the church his family attended. He attended Greyfriars Preparatory School in Leamington and in 1903 took up a classics scholarship at Rugby School, having turned down one for mathematics at Harrow School. It was at Rugby that Denis Browne first met Rupert Brooke, son of a master and a year older, and they greatly influenced each other. In 1906, Denis Browne pestered Brooke to write a poem for him to set to music for Easter Day. Brooke eventually did so, the result being "A song in praise of Cremation written to my lady on Easter Day"; Brooke was impressed with Denis Browne's musical setting of it.
