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.Mitchell, Donald (ed) (1991). Letters From A Life: Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten, Vol. 1 1923–39. London: Faber and Faber. . p. 318 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."The Theatres: Mr. Noel Coward's 'Operette", The Times, 3 March 1938, p. 12 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 composerJazzprofessional.com 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, 59Philip L Scowcroft, First Garland, accessed 20 November 2010 18 March – Cyril Rootham, organist and composer, 62 18 April – Richard Runciman Terry, musicologist, 72 24 July – Marmaduke Barton, pianist and composer, 72Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954), Vol. I, p. 476 14 August – Sir Landon Ronald, conductor and composer, 65"Obituary: Sir Landon Ronald", The Times, 15 August 1938, p. 12 3 September – James Kendrick Pyne, organist and composer, 86"Obituaries, Dr. J. K. Pyne, Distinguished Organist", The Times, 5 September 1938, pg. 14 4 November – John Thomas Job, minister, hymn-writer and poet, 71 15 November – Viola Tree, actress, singer and playwright, 54 (pleurisy)The Times, obituary, 16 November 1938, p. 9.

See also 1938 in British television 1938 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1938

References