1923 in British music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1923 in music in the United Kingdom.
Events
- 12 June â William Walton's Façade, a collaboration with Edith Sitwell, is given its first public performance at the Aeolian Hall, London.[1] The critics' reception is unfavourable.[2]
- 4 July â Ralph Vaughan Williams's English Folk Song Suite is premièred at Kneller Hall, conducted by Hector Adkins.[3]
- SeptemberâOctober â Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) and E. J. Moeran tour East Anglia in search of original folk music.
- 11 November â The première of John Foulds's A World Requiem is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with soloists including Herbert Heyner.[4] It is repeated on that date each year until 1926.
- 23 December â The Beggar's Opera by John Gay and Dr Pepusch, with score restored by Frederic Austin, ends its record run of 1,463 performances at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith; Austin himself plays Peachum, with Frederick Ranalow as Macheath and Sylvia Nelis as Polly.
- date unknown
- The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society is founded by Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart.[5]
- The moving-coil microphone is developed by Captain H. J. Round and is adopted by the BBC's London studios.[6]
- Edward Elgar moves to the village of Kempsey, Worcestershire, where he will live until 1927.[7]
- Arthur Bliss's father retires to California. Arthur goes with him to work as a conductor, lecturer, pianist and occasional critic.[8]
- Eugene Aynsley Goossens becomes conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in the United States.
- Henry Tippett agrees to support his son Michael Tippett's studies at the Royal College of Music, where Michael is accepted despite lacking the entry qualifications.[9]
- The Savoy Orpheans is formed as a resident dance band at the Savoy Hotel, London, by Debroy Somers.
Classical music: new works
- Kenneth J. Alford â Cavalry of the Clouds
- Granville Bantock â Suite from Cathay (words by Ezra Pound)
- Arthur Bliss â String Quartet
- Gerald Finzi â A Severn Rhapsody[10]
- John Ireland â Cello Sonata
- Constant Lambert â 2 Songs (words by Sacheverell Sitwell), for soprano, flute and harp
- Roger Quilter â "The Fuchsia Tree", Op. 25 No. 2[11]
- Cyril Scott â The Incompetent Apothecary (ballet)
- Ralph Vaughan Williams â Sea Songs
- William Walton â Toccata for Violin and Piano
Opera
Musical theatre
- London Calling!, a revue produced by André Charlot with music and lyrics by Noël Coward,[13] co-starring Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, opens at the Duke of York's Theatre on 4 September and runs for 367 performances.
Births
- 21 April â Ronald Cass, film composer (died 2006)
- 15 May â John Lanchbery, composer and conductor (died 2003)
- 4 August â Arthur Butterworth, composer (died 2014)
- 19 August â Dill Jones, pianist (died 1984)
- 30 September â Donald Swann, musician (died 1994)
- 5 October â Glynis Johns, actress and singer (died 2024)
- 10 November â Anne Shelton, singer (died 1994)
Deaths
- 18 January â Kate Santley, German-born actress, singer and comedian (exact age unknown)
- 10 July â Albert Chevalier, actor, singer, songwriter and music hall performer, 62[14]
- 27 August â Letty Lind, singer and burlesque performer, 61[15]
- 12 October â John Cadvan Davies, poet and hymn-writer, 77[16]
- date unknown â Nicholas Kilburn, choral conductor and composer, 80[17]