1938 in British music explained

This is a summary of 1938 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

• June – at the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) Festival in London Benjamin Britten meets Aaron Copland.^[1]
• 18 August – Benjamin Britten is the soloist at the first performance of his Piano Concerto, staged during the London Proms.^[1]
• date unknown – the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams begins an affair with Ursula Wood.

Popular music

• "The Biggest Aspidistra In The World" by Tommie Connor, W. G. Haines & James S. Hancock
• "Boomps-A-Daisy", with words and music by Annette Mills
• "Cinderella, Stay In My Arms" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Michael Carr
• "Dearest Love" w.m. Noël Coward
• "I Went to a Marvelous Party" w.m. Noël Coward
• "The Stately Homes Of England", with words and music by Noël Coward
• "Where Are The Songs We Sung?" w.m. Noël Coward
• "You're What's The Matter With Me" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr. Introduced by Harry Richman and Evelyn Dall in the film Kicking the Moon Around.

Classical music: new works

• Benjamin Britten – Piano Concerto, Op. 13 (original version)
• Alan Bush – Piano Concerto, Op. 18, with baritone and male choir in last movement
• Hamilton Harty – The Children of Lir
• Herbert Howells – Hymnus Paradisi
• Michael Tippett – Piano Sonata No. 1

Film and Incidental music

• Louis Levy – Crackerjack, directed by Albert de Courville.
• Ernest Irving –
  • The High Command, starring Lionel Atwill, Lucie Mannheim and James Mason.
  • I See Ice, starring George Formby, Kay Walsh and Betty Stockfeld.
  • It's in the Air, starring George Formby, Polly Ward and Jack Hobbs. Directed by Anthony Kimmins.

Musical theatre

• 26 January – The London production of Nine Sharp opens at The Little Theatre, to run for 405 performances.
• 16 March – The London production of Operette opens at His Majesty's Theatre after a short run in Manchester.^[2]
• 6 July – Maritza aka Countess Maritza, London production opened at the Palace Theatre
• 29 September – These Foolish Things London revue opened at the Palladium

Musical films

• Around the Town, directed by Herbert Smith, starring Vic Oliver and Irene Ware.
• Break the News, directed by René Clair, starring Jack Buchanan and Maurice Chevalier.^[3]
• Kicking the Moon Around, directed by Walter Forde, starring Bert Ambrose and Evelyn Dall^[4]
• Mountains O'Mourne, directed by Harry Hughes, starring René Ray and Niall MacGinnis.^[5]
• My Irish Molly, directed by Alex Bryce, starring Binkie Stuart
• Over She Goes, directed by Graham Cutts, starring Stanley Lupino and Claire Luce
• Sailing Along, directed by Sonnie Hale, starring Jessie Matthews and Barry MacKay
• Stepping Toes, directed by John Baxter, starring Hazel Ascot and Enid Stamp-Taylor
• Thistledown, directed by Arthur B. Woods, starring Aino Bergö and Athole Stewart
• We're Going to Be Rich starring Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy

Births

• 18 March – Kenny Lynch, singer, songwriter and actor (died 2019)
• 31 March – Laurie Holloway, pianist and composer^[6]
• 27 May – Elizabeth Harwood, operatic soprano (died 1990)
• 1 July – Susan Maughan, singer
• 26 August – Jet Black (The Stranglers)
• 20 September – Jane Manning, operatic soprano
• 5 October – Peter Aston, conductor and composer (died 2013)
• 28 October – Howard Blake, composer^[7]
• 31 December – Christopher Steel, composer (died 1991)

Deaths

• 1 February – Marie Dainton, actress and music hall performer, 56
• 9 March – Sydney Baynes, conductor, composer and bandleader, 59^[8]
• 18 March – Cyril Rootham, organist and composer, 62
• 18 April – Richard Runciman Terry, musicologist, 72
• 24 July – Marmaduke Barton, pianist and composer, 72^[9]
• 14 August – Sir Landon Ronald, conductor and composer, 65^[10]
• 3 September – James Kendrick Pyne, organist and composer, 86^[11]
• 4 November – John Thomas Job, minister, hymn-writer and poet, 71
• 15 November – Viola Tree, actress, singer and playwright, 54 (pleurisy)^[12]

See also

• 1938 in British television
• 1938 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1938

Notes and References

1. Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 1 1923–39. London: Faber and Faber. . p. 318
2. "The Theatres: Mr. Noel Coward's Operette", The Times, 3 March 1938, p. 12
3. Web site: Break the News (1938). BFI. 17 November 2019.
4. Book: Scott Palmer. British Film Actors' Credits, 1895-1987. 1988. McFarland. 978-0-89950-316-5. 269.
5. Web site: Mountains o'Mourne. https://web.archive.org/web/20190505044143/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b0da836. dead. May 5, 2019. BFI. 17 November 2019.
6. http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/LaurieHolloway.htm Jazzprofessional.com
7. Web site: Rob Barnett. Howard Blake – A survey of his music on CD. Musicweb-International. 2009. 2013-04-09.
8. Philip L Scowcroft, First Garland, accessed 20 November 2010
9. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954), Vol. I, p. 476
10. "Obituary: Sir Landon Ronald", The Times, 15 August 1938, p. 12
11. "Obituaries, Dr. J. K. Pyne, Distinguished Organist", The Times, 5 September 1938, pg. 14
12. The Times, obituary, 16 November 1938, p. 9.