# 1940 in 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 22 June – John Ireland is evacuated from Guernsey just over a week before the island is invaded by Germany.
* 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.
* 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

* 7 June – Tom Jones, singer
* 23 June – Adam Faith, singer and actor (died 2003)
* 4 July – Dave Rowberry, English pianist and songwriter (The Animals) (died 2003)
* 7 July – Ringo Starr, drummer of The Beatles
* 10 July – Brian Priestley, English pianist and composer (National Youth Jazz Orchestra)
* 19 August – Roger Cook, songwriter
* 9 October – John Lennon, singer and songwriter (died 1980)
* 14 October – Cliff Richard, singer
* 23 October –Tom McGrath, jazz pianist and playwright (died 2009)
* 15 November – Hank Wangford, 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