1940 in British music
This is a summary of 1940 in music in the United Kingdom.
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Events
- 30 January – Sophie Wyss gives the first complete performance of Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations, with Boyd Neel conducting his Orchestra at the Wigmore Hall, London.[1]
- 28 March – Antonio Brosa gives the first performance of Britten's Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Barbirolli in Carnegie Hall, New York.[2]
- 21 April – Michael Tippett's Concerto for Double String Orchestra is given its first performance in London.
- May – Ilona Kabos and Louis Kentner record William Walton's Duets for Children for Columbia.[3]
- 22 June – John Ireland is evacuated from Guernsey just over a week before the island is invaded by Germany.[4]
- date unknown – D'Oyly Carte bass L. Radley Flynn marries contralto Ella Halman.
Popular music
- "All Over The Place" w. Frank Eyton m. Noel Gay. Introduced by Tommy Trinder in the film Sailors Three.
- "Let The People Sing" w.m. Noel Gay, Ian Grant & Frank Eyton
Classical music: new works
- Granville Bantock – Celtic Symphony
- Lennox Berkeley – Symphony No. 1
- Benjamin Britten – Sinfonia da Requiem
- William Walton – The Wise Virgins (ballet)
Film and Incidental music
- Richard Addinsell – Gaslight, starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard.
- Bretton Byrd – A Window in London, starring Michael Redgrave.
- Ernest Irving – Sailors Three
- Louis Levy – Night Train to Munich directed by Carol Reed, starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison.
Musical theatre
- 5 March – The Beggar's Opera (Music and Lyrics: John Gay adapted by Frederic Austin). London revival, directed by John Gielgud, opened at the Haymarket Theatre.[5]
- 20 March – White Horse Inn (Music: Ralph Benatzky Lyrics and Book: Harry Graham). London revival opened at the London Coliseum and ran for 268 performances until ended by bombing raids.[5]
- 11 April – New Faces London revue opened at the Comedy Theatre, then moved to the Apollo Theatre on 14 March 1941.
- 27 August – Apple Sauce (Music and Lyrics: Michael Carr & Jack Strachey). London production opened at the Holborn Empire, then moved to the London Palladium on 5 March 1941, after the Holborn Empire was destroyed in the Blitz. Total run 462 performances.
Musical films
- Laugh It Off, starring Tommy Trinder, Jean Colin, Anthony Hulme and Marjorie Browne.
Births
- 7 June – Tom Jones, singer
- 23 June – Adam Faith, singer and actor (died 2003)
- 4 July – Dave Rowberry, English pianist and songwriter (The Animals) (died 2003)
- 7 July – Ringo Starr, drummer of The Beatles
- 10 July – Brian Priestley, English pianist and composer (National Youth Jazz Orchestra)
- 19 August – Roger Cook, songwriter
- 9 October – John Lennon, singer and songwriter (died 1980)
- 14 October – Cliff Richard, singer
- 23 October –Tom McGrath, jazz pianist and playwright (died 2009)
- 15 November – Hank Wangford, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and physician
- 25 December – Pete Brown, performance poet and lyricist
Deaths
- 31 March – Achille Rivarde, American-born violinist and teacher, 74
- 10 July – Sir Donald Tovey, musicologist and composer, 64
- 16 December – William Wallace, composer, 80
References
- Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 2 1939–45. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-160581. pp. 628, 657
- Mitchell (1991): p. 629
- Lloyd, Stephen (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-803-7. p. 171
- Foreman, Lewis. The John Ireland Companion. The Boydell Press, 2011: p. xxxiii
- "London Musicals 1940–1944" (pdf). overthefootlights.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2014.http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf
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