1954 in British music

This is a summary of 1954 in music of all genres in the United Kingdom.

Events

• 5 August - Salad Days opens in the West End after a short run in Bristol. It becomes the longest-running musical in British theatre history until overtaken by Oliver! in 1960.
• 14 September - Benjamin Britten conducts the premiere of his opera The Turn of the Screw at Teatro La Fenice, Venice.
• 1 October - The UK Singles Chart is expanded into a Top 20.
• 3 December - William Walton's opera Troilus and Cressida opens at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It is not a success.

Charts

• See UK No.1 Hits of 1954

Classical music: new works

• Gerald Finzi - Cello Concerto in A minor
• Alun Hoddinott - Clarinet Concerto
• Daniel Jones - Symphony No. 4
• Ralph Vaughan Williams - Tuba Concerto in F minor

Opera

• Benjamin Britten - The Turn of the Screw
• Arwel Hughes - Menna
• William Walton - Troilus and Cressida

Film and Incidental music

• Malcolm Arnold -
  • The Belles of St Trinian's, starring Alistair Sim.
  • Hobson's Choice directed by David Lean, starring Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, John Mills and Prunella Scales.
  • The Sea Shall Not Have Them, starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel.
• Francis Chagrin - An Inspector Calls directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Alastair Sim.
• Eric Coates - The Dam Busters March
• Mátyás Seiber - Animal Farm

Musical theatre

• Salad Days, with music by Julian Slade and lyrics by Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade

Musical films

• Lilacs in the Spring, starring Anna Neagle

Births

• 23 January - Edward Ka-Spel, singer-songwriter
• 8 March - Cheryl Baker, singer with Bucks Fizz
• 15 March - Isobel Buchanan, operatic soprano
• 8 May
  • John Michael Talbot, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Mason Proffit)
  • Gary Wilmot, entertainer
• 11 May - Judith Weir, composer
• 10 July - Neil Tennant, singer-songwriter and record producer (Pet Shop Boys)
• 11 August - Joe Jackson, singer, songwriter and composer
• 25 August - Elvis Costello, singer-songwriter
• 21 October - Eric Faulkner, guitarist, songwriter, and singer (Bay City Rollers)
• 3 November - Adam Ant, singer
• 4 November - Chris Difford, singer, songwriter and record producer (Squeeze)
• 18 November - John Parr, singer
• 7 December - Mike Nolan, singer with Bucks Fizz
• 10 December - Jack Hues, singer-songwriter and guitarist (Wang Chung)
• 25 December - Annie Lennox, singer

Deaths

• 18 January - Herbert Heyner, operatic baritone, 71
• 3 March - Noel Gay, songwriter, 55
• 4 April - Frederick Lonsdale, dramatist of musicals, 73
• 24 July - Anne Gilchrist, folk song collector, 90
• 9 August - Frederick Keel, baritone singer and composer, 83
• 14 December - Philip Ritte, operatic tenor, 83
• 29 November - Sir George Robey, music hall star, 85
• date unknown - George Alex Stevens, songwriter and musical show director