1945 in British music

This is a summary of 1945 in music in the United Kingdom.

List of years in British music
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Events

• 7 June – First performance of Peter Grimes in Sadler's Wells, London.
• 29 June – William Walton opposes a proposal that the British Council should support a complete recording of Peter Grimes, suggesting that this should be discussed "at a calmer moment when the wildly hysterical & uncritical eulogies & general 'ballyhoo' have somewhat abated, & the true merits of the work can be properly assessed."[1]
• July – Benjamin Britten and Yehudi Menuhin tour Germany to perform concerts in liberated concentration camps, including Belsen.
• 26 July – Composer Ernest John Moeran marries cellist Peers Coetmore.
• Unknown date – Walter Legge founds the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Popular music

• Noël Coward – "Matelot", "Nina (from Argentina)", from Coward's musical Sigh No More[2]
• Dorothy Squires – "The Gypsy" (Billy Reid)

Classical music: new works

• Benjamin Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
• Pamela Harrison – String Trio
• Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 1
• William Walton – Memorial Fanfare for Henry Wood

Opera

• Benjamin Britten – Peter Grimes

Film and Incidental music

• Richard Addinsell – Blithe Spirit
• Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Story of a Flemish Farm

Musical theatre

• 21 April – Perchance To Dream (Music, Lyrics and Book: Ivor Novello) – London production opens at the London Hippodrome and runs for 1022 performances.
• 28 August – Noël Coward's revue Sigh No More opens at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Musical films

• Flight from Folly, directed by Herbert Mason, starring Patricia Kirkwood and Hugh Sinclair.[3] The Daily Mirror described the film as a "neatly made and tuneful comedy" with praise for Kirkwood's "vivacious personality and talent".
• Home Sweet Home, directed by John E. Blakeley, starring Frank Randle, with music by Percival Mackey.[4]
• I'll Be Your Sweetheart – directed by Val Guest, starring Margaret Lockwood, Vic Oliver and Michael Rennie.
• Waltz Time, directed by Paul L. Stein, starring Carol Raye, Peter Graves and Patricia Medina, with music by Hans May.[5]

Births

• 10 January – Rod Stewart, singer and songwriter
• 19 January – Trevor Williams, English singer-songwriter and bass player (Audience and The Nashville Teens)
• 25 January – Dave Walker, English singer and guitarist (Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac)
• 26 January – Jacqueline du Pré, cellist (died 1987)
• 30 March – Eric Clapton, guitarist, singer and songwriter
• 25 February – Elkie Brooks, singer
• 14 April – Ritchie Blackmore, guitarist
• 19 May – Pete Townshend (The Who)
• 29 May – Gary Brooker (Procol Harum)
• 24 June – Colin Blunstone, singer
• 25 June – Labi Siffre, singer-songwriter
• 28 June – David Knights, bass player and producer (Procol Harum)
• 19 August – Ian Gillan, singer
• 5 September – Al Stewart, singer-songwriter
• 7 September – Max Boyce, singer-songwriter
• 8 September – Kelly Groucutt, British bassist (died 2009)
• 24 September – John Rutter, composer
• 26 September – Bryan Ferry, singer and songwriter
• 5 October – Brian Connolly, vocalist (Sweet) (died 1997)
• 28 October – Wayne Fontana, singer
• 30 November – Stan Sulzmann, saxophonist and educator
• 3 December – Paul Nicholas, actor and singer
• 30 December – Davy Jones, singer and actor (died 2012)

Deaths

• 8 February – James Campbell McInnes, baritone singer and teacher, 71
• 12 April – Maurice Besly, organist, composer and conductor, 57
• 24 April – Hubert Bath, film composer, 61
• 15 May – Kenneth J. Alford, composer of military marches, 64
• 21 May – Hugh Enes Blackmore, singer and actor, 81
• 15 August – Frederic Lord, organist, conductor and composer, 58[6]
• 19 November – Helen Hopekirk, pianist and composer, 89
• 15 December – Tobias Matthay, pianist and composer, 87

See also

• 1945 in British television
• 1945 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1945

References

1. Lloyd, Stephen (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge, Boydell & Brewer: p. 201
2. Morley, Sheridan. Coward, pp. 91–93, London: Haus, 2004. ISBN 1-904341-94-2
3. "Flight From Folly / BFI Most Wanted". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
4. "BFI | Film & TV Database | HOME SWEET HOME (1945)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
5. "BFI | Film & TV Database | WALTZ TIME (1945)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
6. Margaret Frazer. "Frederic Lord". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2010-01-16.