1949 in British music
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This is a summary of 1949 in music in the United Kingdom.
Events[]
- February – On hearing of the death of Ernest Walker, Albert Schweitzer writes: "Now the dear, gentle, kind, distinguished Dr. Walker has left this life. Seeing him impressed me deeply each time."[1]
- 14 July – Kathleen Ferrier performs in the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's Spring Symphony in Amsterdam, with Eduard van Beinum and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, a work written specifically for her.[2]
- 5 September – Wagnerian tenor Walter Widdop makes his last appearance at The Proms, singing an aria from Lohengrin, only one day before his sudden death.
- date unknown – The Tempo Records jazz record label is founded by Colin Pomroy, Jack Clough, and R.E.G. (Ron) Davies.
Popular music[]
- "Snowy White Snow and Jingle Bells" by Billy Reid, performed by Dorothy Squires[3]
- The Wedding of Lili Marlene" by Tommie Connor[4]
Classical music: new works[]
- Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 1
- Havergal Brian – Symphony No. 8 in B flat Minor
- Benjamin Britten – Spring Symphony[5]
- William Walton – Sonata for violin and piano (written for Yehudi Menuhin and Louis Kentner)
Opera[]
- Benjamin Britten – Let's Make an Opera (The Little Sweep)
- Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Pilgrim's Progress (original version)
Film and Incidental music[]
- Richard Addinsell – The Passionate Friends directed by David Lean.[6]
- Arthur Bliss – Christopher Columbus, starring Fredric March.
- Ernest Irving –
- Kind Hearts and Coronets, starring Alec Guinness.
- A Run for Your Money, starring Donald Houston and Meredith Edwards.
- Whisky Galore! directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Basil Radford, Bruce Seton, Joan Greenwood and Gordon Jackson.
Musical theatre[]
- 22 June – Her Excellency starring Cicely Courtneidge opens at the London Hippodrome
- 15 September – King's Rhapsody, with music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall, opens at the Palace Theatre, London.
Musical films[]
- Maytime in Mayfair, starring Anna Neagle[7]
- Melody in the Dark, starring Eunice Gayson
- Trottie True, starring Jean Kent and Hugh Sinclair
Births[]
- 4 January – Margaret Anne Marshall, Scottish soprano
- 19 January – Robert Palmer, singer (died 2003)
- 22 January – Phil Miller, English guitarist
- 6 February – Mike Batt, singer and composer
- 7 February – Alan Lancaster, bass player (Status Quo and The Party Boys)
- 16 February – Lyn Paul, English singer and actress (The New Seekers)
- 26 February – Dame Emma Kirkby, soprano
- 24 March – Nick Lowe, singer-songwriter
- 11 April – Lee Sheriden, singer with Brotherhood of Man
- 13 May – Jane Glover, conductor
- 18 May – Rick Wakeman, multi-instrumentalist and composer
- 21 May – Rosalind Plowright, operatic mezzo-soprano
- 17 June – Snakefinger, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Residents and Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers) (died 1987)
- 24 June – John Illsley, singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Dire Straits)
- 3 July – John Verity, guitarist (Argent)
- 12 July – John Wetton, bass guitarist (King Crimson, Roxy Music)
- 15 July – Trevor Horn, record producer, songwriter, musician and singer, sometimes called "The Man Who Invented the Eighties".[8][9]
- 17 July
- Geezer Butler, bass player and songwriter (Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler Band, GZR, and Heaven & Hell)
- Wayne Sleep, actor, dancer, and choreographer
- 28 July – Simon Kirke, English drummer (Bad Company and Free)
- 12 August
- Mark Knopfler, singer, songwriter, guitarist and composer
- Lou Martin, Irish-English pianist, songwriter, and producer (died 2012)
- 28 August – Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers)
- 1 October – Allan Barty, folk musician (died 2008)
- 29 October – David Paton, guitarist, singer and songwriter
- 2 November – Frankie Miller, rock singer-songwriter
- 23 November – Sandra Stevens, singer with Brotherhood of Man
- 26 November – Martin Lee, singer with Brotherhood of Man
- 3 December – Nicky Stevens, singer with Brotherhood of Man
- 5 December – John Altman, film composer, arranger and conductor
- 8 December – Ray Shulman, violinist, guitarist, and producer
- 17 December – Paul Rodgers, rock vocalist
- 22 December – Robin Gibb (died 2012) and Maurice Gibb (died 2003) (Bee Gees
Deaths[]
- 11 January – Edward Goll, Bohemian-born pianist, 64
- 15 January – Robert Evett, singer, actor, theatre manager and producer, 74
- 21 February – Ernest Walker, composer, pianist, organist, teacher and writer on music, 78
- 3 April – Basil Harwood, organist and composer, 89
- 3 May – David John Tawe Jones, composer, 64[10]
- 6 September – Walter Widdop, operatic tenor, 51[11]
- 30 October – Stanley Kirkby, baritone singer and variety artist, 71
- date unknown – Frank Clifford Harris, lyricist, 74
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Margaret Deneke, Ernest Walker, 1951
- ^ Blyth, Alan (2007). "Ferrier, Kathleen (Mary)". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 2 June 2011.(subscription required)
- ^ "Song:Snowy White Snow and Jingle Bells". Secondhand Songs. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ Colin Larkin (2000). The encyclopedia of popular music. Oxford Univ. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
- ^ Mitchell, Donald (ed) (2004). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 3 1946–51. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-22282-X. p. 408
- ^ Melanie Williams (8 June 2017). David Lean. Oxford University Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-5261-1681-9.
- ^ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p489
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-11-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ http://www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl/blog/all/a-q-a-with-the-man-who-invented-the-eighties-trevor-horn[permanent dead link]
- ^ Welsh Biography Online. Accessed 16 November 2013
- ^ Steane, John. "Widdop, Walter." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, accessed 4 November 2010 (subscription required)
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