1922 in British music explained

This is a summary of 1922 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

• February – The British National Opera Company gives its first performance, at Bradford.^[1]
• April – While appearing in The Cosmopolitan Girl at the Gateshead Empire, Cardiff, Marie Lloyd collapses in her dressing room.^[2]
• October – The Leeds Festival takes place, with King George V of the United Kingdom as patron.^[3]
• 11 October – Leila Megàne and Sir Edward Elgar make the first complete recording of Sea Pictures, with the composer himself conducting.^[4]
• 11 October – Composer Walford Davies is knighted in prime minister David Lloyd George's resignation honours.^[5]
• date unknown
  • 21-year-old violinist Paul Beard becomes leader of the City of Birmingham Orchestra.^[6]
  • Conductor Landon Ronald is knighted.

Popular music

• "March With Me!" w. Douglas Furber m. Ivor Novello
• "The Laughing Policeman" w. Billie Grey, m. George W. Johnson^[7]

Classical music: new works

• Arnold Bax – The Happy Forest (orchestral version)
• Arthur Bliss – A Colour Symphony^[8]
• Eric Coates – Joyous Youth, orchestral suite
• Edward German – The Willow Song^[9]
• Hamilton Harty – Piano Concerto
• William Walton – Façade (subsequently revised)
• Peter Warlock – The Curlew, song cycle based on works by W. B. Yeats^[10]

Musical theatre

• 18 May – Whirled into Happiness, with music by Robert Stolz, and book and lyrics by Harry Graham, opens at the Lyric Theatre where it would run for 246 performances, closing on 16 December of the same year.^[11] It stars Billy Merson.

Births

• 3 January – Ronald Smith, pianist, composer and teacher (died 2004)
• 7 January – Eric Jupp, English-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2003)
• 16 February – Sir Geraint Evans, operatic baritone (died 1992)^[12]
• 1 March – Michael Flanders, actor and songwriter (died 1975)^[13]
• 9 April – Arthur Tolcher, harmonica player (died 1987)
• 6 June – Iain Hamilton, composer (died 2000)^[14]
• 15 June – John Veale, English composer and educator (died 2006)^[15]
• 11 August – Ron Grainer, television composer (died 1981)
• 31 August – John Hanson, singer and actor (died 1998)
• 18 September – Ray Steadman-Allen, composer for Salvation Army bands (died 2014)^[16]
• 16 October – Max Bygraves, singer and entertainer (died 2012)^[17]
• 24 November – Joan Turner, singer and comedian (died 2009)

Deaths

• 18 April – Percy Hilder Miles, composer, conductor and violinist, 43^{[18] [19]}
• 31 May – Rutland Barrington, baritone of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 69^[20]
• 24 July – George Thorne, baritone of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 66
• 18 August – Dame Genevieve Ward, soprano, 85^[21]
• 22 September – Sir Charles Santley, baritone, 88
• 7 October – Marie Lloyd, British music-hall singer, 52^[22]
• date unknown – Charles Macintosh, folk music composer and performer and mycologist, 82

See also

• 1923 in the United Kingdom

Notes and References

1. The Times, 7 February 1922, p. 8 and The Manchester Guardian, 10 February 1922, p. 4
2. Jacob, Naomi (1972). Our Marie, Marie Lloyd: A Biography. London: Chivers Press. .
3. News: The King as Patron . Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer . 4 February 1922 . 22 September 2015 . West Yorkshire, England . Genes Reunited) . THE KING PATRON. His Majesty the King (George V) has consented (to) become a patron of the Leeds Musical Festival, which will take place October next. (The King's daughter) Princess Mary, (and her fiancé) Viscount Lascelles .... are also on the list of patrons, which further includes....
4. BBC Cymru Y gantores ysbrydegol: Llyfr am Leila Megane yn dwyn atgofion (Welsh language)
5. "Resignation Honours – Four New Peers – Music Knighthoods", The Times, 11 November 1922, p. 14
6. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e99 "Beard, Paul"
7. Book: Hillandale News. 1976. B. Brott. 173.
8. Book: Randel, Don Michael. The Harvard dictionary of music. 2003. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-01163-2. 191.
9. Scowcroft, Philip. "Edward German: Serious or Light?" MusicWeb-International, 1 December 2001
10. [Gordon Bottomley]
11. "Theatres", The Times, 16 December 1922, p. 10
12. Web site: Obituary: Sir Geraint Evans. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-geraint-evans-1552725.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 21 September 1992. Elizabeth Forbes. The Independent. 25 February 2019.
13. Web site: Flanders, Michael. Ukwhoswho.com. 27 September 2014.
14. Web site: Iain Hamilton. 3 August 2000. Hugh Wood. The Guardian. 25 February 2019.
15. Web site: John Veale. 18 January 2007. David Wright. The Guardian. 25 February 2019.
16. Web site: Ray Steadman-Allen - obituary. 2 January 2015. The Telegraph. 25 February 2019.
17. Book: Harris M. Lentz III. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2012. 19 April 2013. McFarland. 978-1-4766-0385-8. 47.
18. Book: Musical Times through Google Books. 1 February 1896. 37. 98. 7 February 2011.
19. Book: Musical Times through Google Books. 1 April 1899. 239–240. 23 January 2011.
20. Book: Who's who in the Theatre. 1930. Pitman. 1399.
21. Book: Burns Mantle. John Arthur Chapman. Garrison P. Sherwood. Louis Kronenberger. The Best Plays. 1923. Dodd, Mead. 596.
22. "Miss Marie Lloyd", The Sunday Post, 8 October 1922, p. 1