This is a summary of 1923 in music in the United Kingdom.
Events 12 June – William Walton's Façade, a collaboration with Edith Sitwell, is given its first public performance at the Aeolian Hall, London.Kennedy, Michael. "Walton, Sir William Turner (1902–1983)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2008, retrieved 27 September 2010 The critics' reception is unfavourable."Futuristic Music and Poetry", The Manchester Guardian, 13 June 1923, p. 3 4 July – Ralph Vaughan Williams's English Folk Song Suite is premièred at Kneller Hall, conducted by Hector Adkins.Timothy Reynish, notes for British Wind Band Classics, Chandos Records 9697, 1999 – PDF September–October – Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) and E. J. Moeran tour East Anglia in search of original folk music. 11 November – The première of John Foulds's A World Requiem is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with soloists including Herbert Heyner.Cover of programme reproduced in Chandos CD booklet. It is repeated on that date each year until 1926. 23 December – 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. The moving-coil microphone is developed by Captain H. J. Round and is adopted by the BBC's London studios.Hennessy, Brian 2005 The Emergence of Broadcasting in Britain. Devon Southerleigh Edward Elgar moves to the village of Kempsey, Worcestershire, where he will live until 1927. Arthur Bliss's father retires to California. Arthur goes with him to work as a conductor, lecturer, pianist and occasional critic.Obituary, The Times, 29 March 1975, p. 14 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. 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 – Cavalry of the Clouds Granville Bantock – Suite from Cathay (words by Ezra Pound) Arthur Bliss – String Quartet Gerald Finzi – A Severn Rhapsody John Ireland – Cello Sonata Constant Lambert – 2 Songs (words by Sacheverell Sitwell), for soprano, flute and harp Roger Quilter – "The Fuchsia Tree", Op. 25 No. 2Smythe, David K.,The Fuchsia Tree, The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive, Access date: 6 June 2012 Cyril Scott – The Incompetent Apothecary (ballet) Ralph Vaughan Williams – Sea Songs William Walton – Toccata for Violin and Piano
Opera Gustav Holst – The Perfect Fool
Musical theatre London Calling!, a revue produced by André Charlot with music and lyrics by Noël Coward,Morley, Sheridan. Coward, p. 27, Haus, 2005 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 – Ronald Cass, film composer (died 2006) 15 May – John Lanchbery, composer and conductor (died 2003) 4 August – Arthur Butterworth, composer (died 2014) 19 August – Dill Jones, pianist (died 1984) 30 September – Donald Swann, musician (died 1994) 5 October – Glynis Johns, actress and singer (died 2024) 10 November – Anne Shelton, singer (died 1994)
Deaths 18 January – Kate Santley, German-born actress, singer and comedian (exact age unknown) 10 July – Albert Chevalier, actor, singer, songwriter and music hall performer, 62 27 August – Letty Lind, singer and burlesque performer, 61 12 October – John Cadvan Davies, poet and hymn-writer, 77 date unknown – Nicholas Kilburn, choral conductor and composer, 80
See also 1923 in the United Kingdom
References