1921 in British music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1921 in music in the United Kingdom.
Events
- January â Sir Charles Villiers Stanford gives a public lecture entitled "Some Recent Tendencies in Composition", criticising current musical trends.[1]
- 5 March â Charles Villiers Stanford makes his last public appearance when he conducts his latest work, the cantata At the Abbey Gate.[2] The Observer thinks it "quite appealing even though one feels it to be more facile than powerful."[3]
- 14 June â First performance of the orchestral version of Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending conducted by Adrian Boult with Marie Hall as violin soloist in a concert at the Queen's Hall in London.
- June â Adrian Boult conducts an experimental Opera Intime week at the Aeolian Hall (London).[4]
- date unknown
- A new production of The Tempest at the Aldwych Theatre, directed by Viola Tree, adds new incidental music by Arthur Bliss to that by Thomas Arne and Arthur Sullivan.[5]
- The Savoy Havana Band is formed as a resident dance band at the Savoy Hotel, London, by American saxophonist Bert Ralton.
Popular music
- "And Her Mother Came Too": words by Dion Titheradge, music by Ivor Novello[6]
- "Dancing Time": words by George Grossmith, Jr., music by Jerome Kern[7]
- "Shimmy With Me": words by P. G. Wodehouse, music by Jerome Kern, from the musical The Cabaret Girl[7]
Classical music: new works
- Kenneth J. Alford â The Mad Major
- Arnold Bax â Mater ora Filium
- Eric Coates â Moresque
- John Foulds â A World Requiem (1919â21; premiered 1923)[8]
- Albert Ketèlbey
- John Ireland â Two Pieces for Piano
- Cyril Rootham â Suite in three movements for flute and piano
Opera
- Gustav Holst â Savitri
Musical theatre
- 17 January â The League of Notions London revue opens at the Oxford Theatre.
- 5 October â The Golden Moth (Music: Ivor Novello) opens at the Adelphi Theatre, starring Bobbie Comber and Thorpe Bates.
Publications
- Porte, J. F. Sir Edward Elgar. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Turner & Co. Ltd.
Births
- 5 February â Sir John Pritchard, conductor (died 1989)
- 2 March â Robert Simpson, musicologist and composer (died 1997)
- 21 March â Antony Hopkins, composer and music writer (died 2014)
- 8 April â Alfie Bass, actor (Tevye in West End production of Fiddler on the Roof) (died 1987)[9]
- 23 May â Humphrey Lyttelton, English jazz musician (died 2008)
- 12 July â Hilary Corke, writer and composer (died 2001)
- 13 August â Mary Lee, Scottish singer
- 8 September â Sir Harry Secombe, singer and comedian (died 2001)[10]
- 21 September â Jimmy Young, singer and radio broadcaster (died 2016)[11]
- 2 October â Robert Bruce Montgomery, composer (died 1978)
- 21 October â Sir Malcolm Arnold, composer (died 2006)[12]
Deaths
- 8 February â George Formby Sr, singer and comedian, 45 (tuberculosis)[13]
- 25 February â John Thomas of Llanwrtyd, composer, 81[14]
- 14 March â Gustave Barnes, violinist, painter and sculptor, 43[15]
- 29 November â Ivan Caryll, Belgian-born composer of operettas in English, 60[16]