1948 in British music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| By location |
|---|
| By genre |
| By topic |
| List of years in British music |
|---|
This is a summary of 1948 in music in the United Kingdom.
- 10 January – The Amadeus Quartet (formed as the Brainin Quartet in 1947) gives its first recital under this name, at the Wigmore Hall in London, underwritten by Imogen Holst.[1]
- 16 January – The day after her New York concert debut, Kathleen Ferrier writes to her sister: "Some of the critics are enthusiastic, others unimpressed".[2]
- 17 April – The death of Alice, Viscountess Wimborne, lover of William Walton, ends their 14-year affair.[3]
- 21 April
- Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 is premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at the Royal Albert Hall in London and broadcast on the BBC Home Service.[4]
- The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain gives its first concert.[5]
- 5 June – Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears.
- 13 October – Kathleen Ferrier joins Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra in a broadcast performance of Mahler's song cycle Kindertotenlieder.
- October – The Duke of Edinburgh is introduced to musical comedy star Pat Kirkwood in her dressing room after a show. They are seen together at a restaurant, creating a scandal in the newspapers.[6]
- 13 October – William Walton marries Susana Gil Passo.[7]
- date unknown
- Steuart Wilson becomes head of music at the BBC; the appointment will result in the forced retirement of Sir Adrian Boult as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.[8]
- Harman Grisewood replaces George Barnes as controller of the BBC Third Programme.
- The National School of Opera is founded by Joan Cross.[9]
Popular music
Classical music: new works
- Malcolm Arnold – The Smoke (Overture), Op. 21
- Arnold Bax – Magnificat[10]
- Benjamin Britten – Saint Nicolas, for tenor soloist, children's chorus, chorus, and orchestra[11]
- Michael Tippett – Suite in D for the Birthday of Prince Charles[12]
- Ralph Vaughan Williams – Partita for Double String Orchestra[13]
Opera
- Arthur Bliss – The Olympians[14]
- Norman Demuth – Le Flambeau[15]
Film and Incidental music
- William Alwyn – The Fallen Idol directed by Carol Reed, starring Ralph Richardson.[16]
- Arnold Bax – Oliver Twist directed by David Lean, starring Alec Guinness.
- Brian Easdale – The Red Shoes directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
- Constant Lambert – Anna Karenina, starring Vivien Leigh and Ralph Richardson.
- Elisabeth Lutyens – Penny and the Pownall Case (the first feature film to be scored by a female British composer).
- Ralph Vaughan Williams – Scott of the Antarctic, starring John Mills.
- William Walton – Hamlet, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier.
- John Wooldridge – The Guinea Pig, starring Richard Attenborough.
Musical theatre
- 10 March – Carissima, starring Ginger Rogers and David Hughes, opens at the Palace Theatre and runs for 488 performances.
- 22 December – High Button Shoes (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) opens at the Hippodrome and runs for 291 performances.[17]
Musical films
- A Date with a Dream, starring Terry-Thomas, Jeannie Carson and Wally Patch.[18]
- Bless 'Em All, starring Max Bygraves.[19]
- One Night with You, directed by Terence Young and starring Nino Martini, Patricia Roc and Bonar Colleano.[20]
Births
- 17 January – Mick Taylor, guitarist
- 19 January – Amanda Holden, English playwright, lyricist and composer (died 2021)
- 3 February – Gavin Henderson, English trumpet player and conductor
- 28 February – Geoff Nicholls, keyboardist (Black Sabbath) (died 2017)
- 4 March – Chris Squire, guitarist and singer-songwriter (died 2015)
- 11 March – Jan Schelhaas, keyboard player
- 22 March – Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer
- 16 April – Robert Kirby, arranger (died 2009)[21]
- 28 April – Scott Fitzgerald (William McPhail), singer
- 12 May – Steve Winwood, R&B singer
- 15 May – Brian Eno, synthesizer virtuoso and composer
- 21 May – Leo Sayer, singer-songwriter
- 29 May – Michael Berkeley, composer
- 6 June – Richard Sinclair, bass player (Caravan, The Wilde Flowers, Camel and Hatfield and the North)
- 1 July – John Ford, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Strawbs, The Monks and Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera)
- 4 July – Jeremy Spencer, English guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
- 5 July – Alan Hazeldine, pianist and conductor (died 2008)
- 21 July – Cat Stevens (Steven Demetre Georgiou), singer-songwriter[22]
- 2 August – Andy Fairweather Low, guitarist, songwriter, producer and vocalist
- 26 September – Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress (died 2022)[23]
- 3 October – Ian MacDonald (Ian MacCormick), music critic (died 2003)[24]
- 11 October – David Rendall, operatic tenor
- 24 October
- Dale Griffin, rock drummer and producer (died 2016)
- Barry Ryan, singer-songwriter (died 2021)[25]
- Paul Ryan, singer-songwriter and producer (died 1992)
- 22 November – Mick Rock, rock photographer (died 2021)
- 3 November – Lulu (Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie), singer and actress
- 1 December – Colin Sell, pianist
- 3 December – Ozzy Osbourne, singer-songwriter
- 20 December – Alan Parsons, engineer and record producer