1940 in British music

none 1940 1940 British music 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.Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 2 1939–45. London: Faber and Faber. 0-571-160581. pp. 628, 657 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.Mitchell (1991): p. 629 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.Lloyd, Stephen (2001). William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. 978-0-85115-803-7. p. 171 22 June – John Ireland is evacuated from Guernsey just over a week before the island is invaded by Germany.Foreman, Lewis. The John Ireland Companion. The Boydell Press, 2011: p. xxxiii 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. London Musicals 1940–1944 overthefootlights.co.uk http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf pdf 19 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211233927/http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf 11 February 2015 dead http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20150211233927/http://www.overthefootlights.co.uk/London%20Musicals%201940-1944.pub.pdf 2015-02-11 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. 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 11 January – Sydney Devine, Scottish singer (died 2021) 18 January – Lindsay L. Cooper, Scottish jazz string player (died 2001) 15 May – Lena Martell, born Helen Thomson, Scottish singer (died 2026) 7 June – Tom Jones, born Thomas John Woodward, Welsh singer 8 June - Stanley Robertson, Scottish folk and ballad singer and piper (died 2009) 23 June Adam Faith, born Terence Nelhams Wright, singer, screen actor and financial journalist (died 2003) Stuart Sutcliffe, Scottish-born rock guitarist (The Beatles) and abstract painter (died 1962 in Hamburg) 4 July – Dave Rowberry, pianist and songwriter (The Animals) (died 2003) 7 July – Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, rock drummer (The Beatles) 10 July – Brian Priestley, pianist and composer (National Youth Jazz Orchestra) 19 August – Roger Cook, songwriter ("I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)") 9 October – John Lennon, rock singer-songwriter (The Beatles) (killed 1980 in New York) 14 October – Cliff Richard, born Harry Webb in British India, singer 23 October – Tom McGrath, Scottish jazz pianist and playwright (died 2009) 15 November – Hank Wangford, born Sam Hutt, country and western 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 See also 1940 in British television 1940 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1940 References nb Category:British music by year