This is a summary of 1931 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

24 January Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Counc ...

– Mary Garden makes her last appearance with the Chicago Civic Opera company. She retires to her native Scotland. * 22–

28 July Events Pre-1600 *1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina. *1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day his former Chancellor, Tho ...

– The ninth annual ISCM Festival of Contemporary Music takes place in London and Oxford, with concerts of orchestral, choral, and chamber music. *''date unknown'' – Gustav Holst appears as an extra in a crowd scene in the film '' The Bells''.

Popular music

*" Close Your Eyes", by D. Carter and

H. M. Tennent Henry Moncrieff Tennent (18 February 1879 – 10 June 1941), was a British theatrical producer, impresario and songwriter. From 1929 to 1933, he mentored Binkie Beaumont, having previously worked with him in Cardiff. When Tennent, already th ...

Lady Of Spain "Lady of Spain" is a popular song composed in 1931 by Tolchard Evans with lyrics by " Erell Reaves", a pseudonym of Stanley J. Damerell and Robert Hargreaves (1894–1934)I, and by Henry Tilsley. The sheet music was published in London by the Pet ...

"; music by Tolchard Evans, lyrics by Erell Reaves *" Mad Dogs and Englishmen", by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

Classical music: new works

* Havergal Brian – ''Symphony No. 2 in E minor'' * Frank Bridge – ''Phantasm'', for piano and orchestra * Benjamin Britten – **''Christ's Nativity, Christmas Suite'', for SATB choir **'' Plymouth Town'', ballet, for orchestra ** String Quartet in D * Arnold Cooke – ''Passacaglia, Scherzo, and Finale'', for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and string quartet * Frederick Delius – **''Fantastic Dance'', for orchestra **''Irmelin Prelude'', for orchestra * George Dyson – ''The Canterbury Pilgrims'' (

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...

), for soprano, tenor, baritone, choir, and orchestra *

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

– ''Soliloquy'', for oboe and orchestra *

Gerald Finzi Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 – 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata '' Dies natalis'' for solo voice and ...

– ''To Joy'', for voice and piano, op. 13 * Patrick Hadley – ''Symphonic Ballad: The Trees So High'' * Gustav Holst – ''Twelve Welsh Folk Songs'', for choir, H183 * Herbert Howells – **"A Maid Peerless", for SSAA choir and orchestra **''Severn'', for SATB choir * Gordon Jacob – ''Passacaglia on a Well-Known Theme'', for orchestra * Elizabeth Maconchy – **''A Hymn to Christ, A Hymn to God the Father'', for double choir **''The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo'', for choir and orchestra *

Cyril Scott Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrot ...

– **Concerto, for cello and orchestra **Trio No. 1, for violin, viola, and cello **Trio No. 2, for violin, viola, and cello * Herbert Sumsion – ''Piano Trio'' * Michael Tippett – ''Symphonic Movement'', for orchestra *

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

– **'' Job: A Masque for Dancing'' (ballet) **Piano Concerto in C major * William Walton – '' Belshazzar's Feast'' (oratorio)

Opera

Thomas Frederick Dunhill Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1 February 187713 March 1946) was a prolific English composer in many genres, though he is best known today for his light music and educational piano works. His compositions include much chamber music, a song cycle, '' ...

– ''Tantivy Towers'', words by A. P. Herbert

Film and Incidental music

John D. H. Greenwood John Danforth Herman Greenwood (26 June 1889 – 15 April 1975), an English composer best known for his film scores, was the son of New Zealander Alfred Greenwood (1842–1912) and his English-born wife Ottilie Rose Minna (1855–1932) née Schw ...

– '' Alibi''

Musical theatre

* 8 January – '' Folly To Be Wise'' (revue) opens at the Piccadilly Theatre, starring Cicely Courtneidge. *

13 October Events Pre-1600 * 54 – Roman emperor Claudius dies from poisoning under mysterious circumstances. He is succeeded by his adoptive son Nero, rather than by Britannicus, his son with Messalina. * 409 – Vandals and Alans cross the Pyr ...

–

's '' Cavalcade'' opens at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where it runs for 405 performances. *

23 December Events Pre-1600 * 484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. * 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. * 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. * 962 – ...

– '' Hold My Hand'' (Music: Noel Gay Lyrics:

Desmond Carter Herbert Desmond Carter (15 June 1895 – 3 February 1939) was a British lyricist who worked with George and Ira Gershwin, Ivor Novello, and others, and also wrote one of the first English language versions of the notorious "suicide song", "G ...

Book:

Stanley Lupino Stanley Richard Lupino Hook (15 June 1893 – 10 June 1942), known professionally as Stanley Lupino, was an English actor, dancer, singer, librettist, director and short story writer. During the 1930s, Lupino appeared in a successful series of m ...

) opens at the Gaiety Theatre, Starring

Jessie Matthews Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Ma ...

, Sonnie Hale and

Musical films

* '' A Man of Mayfair'', starring Jack Buchanan * '' Sally in Our Alley'', starring

Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...

* '' Sunshine Susie'', starring

Renate Müller Renate Müller (26 April 1906 – 7 October 1937) was a German singer and actress in both silent films and sound films, as well as on stage. One of the most successful actresses in German films from the early 1930s, she was courted by the N ...

and Jack Hulbert

Births

* 6 January – David Whitaker, composer, songwriter, arranger and conductor (died

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

) *

25 March Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. * 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to vi ...

– Humphrey Burton, television music and arts presenter *

29 April Events Pre-1600 *1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. * 1386 – Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and beco ...

– Lonnie Donegan, skiffle musician (died

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

) *

5 July Events Pre-1600 * 328 – The official opening of Constantine's Bridge built over the Danube between Sucidava (Corabia, Romania) and Oescus (Gigen, Bulgaria) by the Roman architect Theophilus Patricius. * 1316 – The Burgundian and ...

– Aloysius Gordon, British-based Jamaican jazz pianist, singer (died

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

) *

28 August Events Pre-1600 * 475 – The Roman Empire, Roman general Orestes (father of Romulus Augustulus), Orestes forces western Roman Emperors, Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his capital city, Ravenna. * 489 – Theodoric the Great, Theod ...

– John Shirley-Quirk, operatic bass-baritone (died

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

) *

12 September Events Pre-1600 *490 BC – Battle of Marathon: The conventionally accepted date for the Battle of Marathon. The Classical Athens, Athenians and their Plataean allies defeat the First Persian invasion of Greece, first Persian invasion for ...

– Tommy Moore, drummer (died

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

) *

24 September Events Pre-1600 *787 – Second Council of Nicaea: The council assembles at the church of Hagia Sophia. *1568 – Spanish naval forces defeat an English fleet, under the command of John Hawkins, at the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa near ...

– Anthony Newley, songwriter, actor and singer (died

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

) *

4 October Events Pre-1600 *AD 23 – Rebels sack the Chinese capital Chang'an during a peasant rebellion. * 1209 – Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. *1302 – The Byzantine–Venetian War comes to ...

– Anna Reynolds, operatic mezzo-soprano (died

) * 4 November – Clinton Ford, singer (died

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

)

Deaths

* 8 May –

Bertha Lewis Bertha Amy Lewis (12 May 1887 – 8 May 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work as principal contralto in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Life and career Early life ...

, singer and actress with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 43 (car accident) *

18 June Events Pre-1600 * 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China. * 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. * 860 – Byzantine–Rus' War: A fleet of about ...

–

Fanny Holland Fanny Holland (14 September 1847 – 18 June 1931) was an English singer and comic actress primarily known as the creator of principal soprano roles in numerous German Reed Entertainments. Life and career Holland was born in London and traine ...

, singer and actress, 83 *

22 August Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. *1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scotland ...

– Joseph Tabrar, songwriter, 73 *

19 November Events Pre-1600 * 461 – Libius Severus is declared emperor of the Western Roman Empire. The real power is in the hands of the ''magister militum'' Ricimer. * 636 – The Rashidun Caliphate defeats the Sasanian Empire at the Battle o ...

– Frederic Cliffe, composer, 74 * 23 November – Leonora Braham, operatic soprano and actress, 78

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1931 In British Music British Music, 1931 in Music British music by year 1930s in British music