1915 in British music

This is a summary of 1915 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

• March – The Musical Times publishes an appreciation of Frederick Delius by the composer Peter Warlock (Philip Heseltine).^[1]
• December – Having been invalided out of the armed forces, composer Havergal Brian and his family move to Erdington, Warwickshire.
• date unknown
  • Composer Herbert Howells is given six months to live, and becomes the first person in the UK to receive radium treatment (he will live on until 1983).^[2]
  • William Penfro Rowlands's hymn tune "Blaenwern" is first published in Henry H. Jones' Cân a Moliant.
  • The Band of the Welsh Guards is formed, simultaneously with the establishment of the regiment.^[3]

Popular music

• Albert William Ketèlbey – "In a Monastery Garden"
• T. W. Conner – "A Little Bit of Cucumber"^[4]
• George Henry Powell & Felix Powell – "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag"

Classical music: new works

• Granville Bantock – Hebridean Symphony
• Frank Bridge – Lament^[5]
• Dora Bright – A Dancer's Adventure (ballet)
• Frederick Delius – Double Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra
• Edward Elgar – Incidental music for The Starlight Express^[6]
• Gustav Holst – Japanese Suite
• John Ireland – Preludes for Piano
• Percy Pitt
  • Sakura suite No. 2 (Suite de Ballet)
  • Ballet Egyptien
  • Suite pour petite orchestre

Opera

• Rutland Boughton – Bethlehem^[7]

Musical theatre

• 24 April – Betty, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and music by Paul Rubens, opens at Daly's Theatre, starring Winifred Barnes.^[8]
• 28 April – Tonight's the Night, with lyrics by Percy Greenbank and music by Paul Rubens, opens at Daly's Theatre, featuring George Grossmith and Leslie Henson.^[8]

Births

• 11 January – Harry Lewis, musician and composer (died 1998)
• 25 January – Ewan MacColl, folk singer and songwriter (died 1989)
• 4 February – Norman Wisdom, comedian, singer and actor (died 2010)
• 10 March – Charles Groves, conductor (died 1992)
• 19 March – Nancy Evans, operatic mezzo-soprano (died 2000)^[9]
• 25 March – Dorothy Squires, singer (died 1998)
• 29 March – George Chisholm, jazz trombonist and comedian (died 1997)
• 26 August – Humphrey Searle, composer (died 1982)
• 28 November – Pamela Harrison, pianist and composer (died 1990)

Deaths

• 15 January – Florence Everilda Goodeve, composer and lyricist, 53^[10]
• 4 June – William Denis Browne, pianist, organist and composer, 26 (killed in action)^[11]
• 6 June – William Hayman Cummings, tenor, organist and composer, 83^[12]
• 10 December – David Jenkins, composer, 66

See also

• 1915 in the United Kingdom

References