1937 in British music

Events

24 January - Ernest John Moeran completes the revised version of his Symphony in G minor, dedicated to conductor Hamilton Harty.

May - The composer Benjamin Britten begins friendship with the tenor Peter Pears.

12 May – William Walton's ceremonial march, "Crown Imperial", originally written for his predecessor, King Edward VIII, is performed for the first time at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

27 August – Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge is performed at the Salzburg Festival, conducted by Boyd Neel.

date unknown

Kathleen Ferrier wins the piano and vocal competitions at the Carlisle Festival, and is awarded a special rose bowl as champion of the festival.

Ukrainian-born pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch takes up British citizenship.

Popular music

"Did Your Mother Come From Ireland?" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr

"Harbour Lights" w. Jimmy Kennedy m. Hugh Williams

"Home Town" w.m. Jimmy Kennedy & Michael Carr

"The Lambeth Walk" w. Douglas Furber, L. Arthur Rose m. Noel Gay

"Leaning On A Lamp Post" w.m. Noel Gay

"Me And My Girl" w.m. Noel Gay & Douglas Furber

Classical music: new works

Arthur Bliss – Checkmate (ballet)

Rutland Boughton – Symphony No. 3 in B minor

Frank Bridge  String Quartet No. 4

Benjamin Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

George Dyson – Symphony in G major

John Ireland – These Things Shall Be

Percy Whitlock – Wessex Suite

Film and Incidental music

Richard Addinsell - Fire Over England, starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

Ernest Irving – Feather Your Nest, starring George Formby, Polly Ward and Enid Stamp-Taylor.

Musical theatre

5 February - On Your Toes London production opened at the Palace Theatre and ran for 123 performances

29 March - Swing is in the Air London revue opened at the Palladium

16 December - Me and My Girl (Noel Gay) – London production opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre and ran for 1646 performances.

Musical films

Big Fella, directed by J. Elder Wills, starring Paul Robeson and Elisabeth Welch

Calling All Stars, directed by Herbert Smith, starring Carroll Gibbons and Evelyn Dall

Gangway, starring Jessie Matthews and Alastair Sim

Head Over Heels, starring Jessie Matthews

Mayfair Melody, directed by Arthur B. Woods, starring Keith Falkner and Chili Bouchier

The Show Goes On, starring Gracie Fields, Owen Nares and John Stuart.

Song of the Forge, starring Stanley Holloway.

Take My Tip, directed by Herbert Mason, starring Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge

Births

8 January – Shirley Bassey, singer

22 January - Ryan Davies, comedian, singer and songwriter (died 1977)

27 January – John Ogdon, pianist (died 1989)

28 April - Jean Redpath, folk singer (died 2014)

5 May - Delia Derbyshire, musician and composer of electronic music (died 2001)

12 July - Guy Woolfenden, conductor and composer

27 July - Anna Dawson, actress and singer

19 November - Geoff Goddard, songwriter, singer and instrumentalist (died 2000)

30 November - Frank Ifield, British-born Australian singer

1 December

Gordon Crosse, composer

David Measham, violinist and conductor (died 2005)

12 December - Philip Ledger, composer and teacher (died 2012)

31 December - Anthony Hopkins, actor and composer

Deaths

22 January - Walter Willson Cobbett, businessman and amateur violinist, editor/author of Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music, 89

10 April - Algernon Ashton, pianist and composer, 77

1 May - Herbert Hughes, composer, music critic and collector of folk songs, 54

2 May - Sir Arthur Somervell, composer, 73

23 July – Charles Henry Mills, composer and music teacher (b. 1873)

25 November – Lilian Baylis, founder of Sadler's Wells ballet company, 63 (heart attack)

26 December

Dan Beddoe, tenor, 74

Ivor Gurney, composer and poet, 47 (tuberculosis)