1940 in British music

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Last updated July 31, 2023

This is a summary of 1940 in music in the United Kingdom.

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 ( died 2023 )

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

Related Research Articles

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1940.

The cultural year was dominated by the Festival of Britain and the opening of The Royal Festival Hall, the first dedicated concert hall of its size to be built in London since 1893: located on the south bank of the Thames, this was to host concerts by major orchestras from Britain and abroad. The Festival itself was a celebration of music, art and theatre. It notably provided an opportunity for the staging of many events seen during the first Folk music Festival held in Edinburgh, organised with the help of such talents as the American Alan Lomax, the Irish traditional musician Seamus Ennis and the political theatre director Ewan MacColl, who would go on to form the Ballad and Blues Club.

This is a summary of 1963 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

This is a summary of 1958 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

This is a summary of 1957 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

This is a summary of 1955 in music of all genres in the United Kingdom.

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

This is a summary of 1949 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1948 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1947 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1946 in music in the United Kingdom.

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

This is a summary of 1944 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1943 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1942 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1941 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1939 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1936 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1935 in music in the United Kingdom.

This is a summary of 1931 in music in the United Kingdom.

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
1 2 "London Musicals 1940–1944" (PDF). overthefootlights.co.uk. Archived from the original (pdf) on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014. http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf Archived 2015-02-11 at the Wayback Machine

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[1] 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

[2] Mitchell (1991): p. 629

[3] Lloyd, Stephen (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-803-7. p. 171

[4] Foreman, Lewis. The John Ireland Companion. The Boydell Press, 2011: p. xxxiii

[overthefootlights-5] 1 2 "London Musicals 1940–1944" (PDF). overthefootlights.co.uk. Archived from the original (pdf) on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014. http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf Archived 2015-02-11 at the Wayback Machine

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