# 1938 in British music

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.
* 18 August – Benjamin Britten is the soloist at the first performance of his Piano Concerto, staged during the London Proms.
* 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.
* 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.
* Kicking the Moon Around, directed by Walter Forde, starring Bert Ambrose and Evelyn Dall
* Mountains O'Mourne, directed by Harry Hughes, starring René Ray and Niall MacGinnis.
* 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
* 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
* 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
* 18 March – Cyril Rootham, organist and composer, 62
* 18 April – Richard Runciman Terry, musicologist, 72
* 24 July – Marmaduke Barton, pianist and composer, 72
* 14 August – Sir Landon Ronald, conductor and composer, 65
* 3 September – James Kendrick Pyne, organist and composer, 86
* 4 November – John Thomas Job, minister, hymn-writer and poet, 71
* 15 November – Viola Tree, actress, singer and playwright, 54 (pleurisy)