1945 in British music
| 1940s in music in the UK |
| Events |
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This is a summary of 1945 in music in the United Kingdom.
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
Classical music: new works
- Benjamin Britten – The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
- Michael Tippett - Symphony No. 1
- William Walton - Memorial Fanfare for Henry Wood
Opera
Film and Incidental music
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.[2] The Daily Mirror described the film as a "neatly made and tuneful comedy" with praise for Kirkwood's "vivacious personality and talent".
- I'll Be Your Sweetheart - directed by Val Guest, starring Margaret Lockwood, Vic Oliver and Michael Rennie.
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
- 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
- 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
- 21 May - Hugh Enes Blackmore, singer and actor, 81
- 15 August - Frederic Lord, organist, conductor and composer, 58[3]
- 19 November - Helen Hopekirk, pianist and composer, 89
- 15 December - Tobias Matthay, pianist and composer, 87
References
- ^ Lloyd, Stephen (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge, Boydell & Brewer: p. 201
- ^ "Flight From Folly / BFI Most Wanted". British Film Institute. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ Margaret Frazer. "Frederic Lord". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
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