2017 in British music

This is a summary of the year 2017 in British music.

Events

• 12 January – The City of London Corporation announces a pledge of £2.5M to a feasibility study, previously halted in November 2016, for a proposed new London concert hall.^[1]
• 17 January – UK Music announced that Jo Dipple is to stand down as its CEO in June 2017.^[2]
• 18 January – Scottish Opera announces the winners of its 'Opera Sparks 2018' competition:
  • Henry McPherson – Maud
  • Lewis Murphy and Laura Attridge – untitled work
  • Matthew Whiteside and Helene Grøn – Little Black Lies
• 25 January
  • The London Festival of Baroque Music announces that Lindsay Kemp is to stand down as artistic director, and Lucy Bending is to stand down as festival manager, in May 2017, at the conclusion of the 2017 festival.^[3]
  • The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center announces its award of the 2017 Elise L. Stoeger Prize, for contributions to chamber music composition, to Huw Watkins.^[4]
• 27 January – Lucie Jones is selected to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, with the song "Never Give Up on You", co-written by Denmark's 2013 Eurovision winner Emmelie de Forest.^[5]
• 12 February – 59th Annual Grammy Awards
  • Album of the Year – 25, Adele
  • Song of the Year – 'Hello', Adele
  • Best Pop Solo Performance – 'Hello', Adele
  • Best Pop Vocal Album – 25, Adele
  • Best Rock Performance – Blackstar, David Bowie
  • Best Rock Song – 'Blackstar', David Bowie
  • Best Alternative Music Album – Blackstar, David Bowie
  • Best Recording Package – Blackstar
  • Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – Blackstar
  • Best Classical Solo Vocal Album (tie)
    • Shakespeare Songs, Ian Bostridge and Sir Antonio Pappano
    • Schumann & Berg, Dorothea Röschmann and Dame Mitsuko Uchida
• 13 February – The European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO), currently with its administrative base in Hordley, announces its intention to relocate to AMUZ (Augustinus Muziekzentrum), Antwerp, in 2018, in the wake of the Brexit referendum. In parallel, the EUBO announces its plan to discontinue the EUBO Mobile Baroque Academy (EMBA) project at the end of March 2017.^[6]
• 28 February – The St Paul's Cathedral Choir announces the appointment of Carris Jones to its roster, the first female chorister in the choir's recorded history, effective 1 September 2017, as alto vicar choral.^[7]
• 1 March – Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting announce that the two institutions are to merge, effective September 2017.^[8]
• 2 March
  • The Academy of Ancient Music announces the appointment of Alexander Van Ingen as its new chief executive.^[9]
  • The BBC announces the appointment of Neil Ferris as the new chorus director of the BBC Symphony Chorus, effective May 2017. In parallel, Grace Rossiter is to join the chorus as deputy chorus director.^[10]
• 8 March – New Music Scotland presented the inaugural Scottish Awards for New Music:^[11]
  • Achievement in New Music: Allie Robertson
  • Award for Community / Education Project: Drake Music Scotland – 'Wagner's School of Cool'
  • Large Scale Work: Helen Grime – Two Eardley Pictures: Catterline in Winter and Snow
  • New Music Performer(s) of the Year: Red Note Ensemble
  • Recorded New Work: Robert Irvine, Songs and Lullabies]] (Delphian Records)
  • Small/medium Scale Work: David Fennessy - Panopticon
• 5 April - The Southbank Centre announces the appointment of Elaine Bedell as its next chief executive, the first woman to hold the post, effective May 2017.^[12]
• 18 April - Opera North announces the resignation of Aleksandar Marković as its music director, with his contract formally to terminate in July 2017, but where he is not to appear with the company for the remainder of the 2016-2017 season.^[13]
• 2 May - The Leeds International Piano Competition announces that Murray Perahia is to be its new patron, effective 1 June 2017.^[14]
• 9 May
  • The BBC announces the appointment of Sofi Jeannin as the next chief conductor of the BBC Singers, the first woman to be named to the post, effective July 2018.^[15]
  • Royal Philharmonic Society Awards
    • Audiences and Engagement: East Neuk Festival, in collaboration with 14-18 NOW - Memorial Ground (David Lang)
    • Chamber Music and Song: Fretwork
    • Chamber-Scale Composition: Rebecca Saunders - Skin
    • Concert Series and Festivals: Lammermuir Festival
    • Conductor: Richard Farnes
    • Creative Communication: Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet' by Edward Dusinberre (Faber)
    • Ensemble: Manchester Camerata
    • Instrumentalist: James Ehnes
    • Large-Scale Composition: Philip Venables - 4.48 Psychosis
    • Learning and Participation: South-West Open Youth Orchestra
    • Opera and Music Theatre: Opera North - Ring Cycle
    • Singer: Karita Mattila
    • Young Artists: Joseph Middleton
• 13 May - The UK finishes 15th in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with 111 points.^[16]
• 22 May - At a concert by Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena, 22 people are killed in a suicide bomber attack.^[17]
• 25 May - The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) announces the appointment of Thomas Søndergård as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018-2019 season. In parallel, Peter Oundjian is to conclude his music directorship of the RSNO at the close of the 2017-2018 season.^[18]
• 4 June - At the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the One Love Manchester benefit concert takes place, to benefit the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. The performers included Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Robbie Williams, Chris Martin, Liam Gallagher, and Marcus Mumford.^[19]
• 7 June - Glyndebourne Opera announces the appointment of Nicholas Jenkins as its new chorus master, effective 4 September 2017.^[20]
• 12 June - Queen's Birthday Honours^[21]
  • Sir Mark Elder and Sir Paul McCartney are each made a Companion of Honour.
  • Sarah Connolly is made a Dame Commander of the British Empire.
  • George Benjamin is made a Knight Bachelor.
  • Chi-chi Nwanoku and Roderick Williams are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
  • Gerald Finley is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
• 19 June - The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition results are announced:^[22]
  • Main Prize - Catriona Morison (the first-ever British winner of the Main Prize in the history of the competition)
  • Song Prize - Catriona Morison and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar (joint prize winners)
  • Audience Prize - Louise Alder
• 22 June - The Royal College of Music Philharmonic Orchestra presents a benefit concert for residents left homeless after the Grenfell Tower fire.^[23]
• 27 June - Arts Council England (ACE) reports its national portfolio funding decisions for the scheduled period of 2018-2022, which include the following music-related items:^[24]
  • Re-admission of English National Opera to portfolio funding, at ₤12.4M per year
  • First-time funding for the British Paraorchestra
  • 3% diminished funding for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Southbank Centre, per ACE's specific request

Television programmes

• 7 January - Let It Shine (BBC1), hosted by Graham Norton and Mel Giedroyc, with Gary Barlow, Dannii Minogue and Martin Kemp serving as judges throughout the series.^[25]
• 13 January - Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand (BBC4)^[26]
• 23 March - The Last Days of George Michael (Channel 5)
• 7 May - Babs (BBC1), biopic of Barbara Windsor^[27]
• June - The Voice Kids (ITV), hosted by Emma Willis^[28]

Charts

Artists and groups reformed

• Bananarama
• Elastica
• Orbital
• Sleeper
• Steps
• The KLF

Groups on hiatus

• Disclosure

Groups disbanded

• Black Sabbath
• Heaven's Basement
• The Maccabees
• The Stone Roses
• Stornoway

Classical works

• Richard Allain - Videte Miraculum
• Kerry Andrew - Archbishop Parker's Psalme 150
• John Barber - Sicut Lilium
• Charlotte Bray - Blaze and Fall^[29]
• Ken Burton - Many are the wonders
• Philip Cashian – Piano Concerto ('The Book of Ingenious Devices')^[30]
• Marisa Cornford - The Stations of the Cross
• Lyell Cresswell - Llanto (Clarinet Concerto)
• Tansy Davies - Forest (Concerto for four horns and orchestra)^[31]
• Jonathan Dove – Vadam et circuibo
• Brian Elias
  • Oboe Quartet^[32]
  • Cello Concerto
• Harry Escott – O Light of Light
• Edmund Finnis - The Air, Tuning^[33]
• Lori Goldston – That Sunrise (for cello and orchestra)^[34]
• Michael Zev Gordon – Violin Concerto^[35]
• Helen Grime – Piano Concerto^[36]
• Emily Hall - Advert – wedding dress
• Simon Holt - Bagatelarañas^[37]
• Gabriel Jackson - Chorale Prelude on 'Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen'^[38]
• Joel Jarventausta - Cantus^[23]
• Guillermo Lago - The Wordsworth Poems^[39]
• Nicola LeFanu – The Crimson Bird^[40]
• Joanna Marsh - Flare^[41]
• Robert Matthew-Walker – A Bad Night in Los Angeles^[42]
• Colin Matthews - It Rains^[37]
• Giulia Monducci – Versus^[43]
• Alasdair Nicolson – Piano Concerto No 2 (The Haunted Ebb)^[44]
• Roxanna Panufnik - Unending Love
• Ben Parry - Out of the Deep^[45]
• Julian Philips – Winter Music^[46]
• Deborah Pritchard - Edge
• Gabriel Prokofiev – Concerto for trumpet, percussion, turntables and orchestra
• Robert Quinney - Chorale Prelude on 'Nun lob, mein' Seel', den Herren'^[38]
• Sarah Rimkus – Mater Dei^[47]
• Alec Roth – Night Prayer
• Simon Rowland-Jones - Close Shave^[39]
• Edwin Roxburgh - Concerto for Piano and Wind Orchestra^[48]
• Oliver Rudland – Eventide^[49]
• Matthew Taylor – Goddess Excellently Bright^[50]
• Mark-Anthony Turnage
  • Remembering (In Memoriam Evan Scofield)^[51]
  • Col^[52]
• Joanna Ward – She Adored^[47]
• Huw Watkins - Symphony^[53]
• Kate Whitley (music) and Malala Yousafzai (text) – Speak Out^[54]

Opera

• Noah Mosley and Ivo Mosley - Mad King Suibhne^[55]
• Lliam Paterson - The 8th Door^[56]
• Julian Philips and Stephen Plaice – The Tale of Januarie^[57]
• Guto Puw and Gwyneth Glyn – Y Tŵr^[58]
• Snow (opera in three acts with music by three composers; libretto by JL Williams):^[59]
  • Act I: Lewis Murphy (music) – 'Three Ravens'
  • Act II: Lucie Treacher (music) – 'The Death of the Seven Dwarves'
  • Act III: Tom Floyd (music) – 'The Crystal Casket'
• Ryan Wigglesworth – The Winter's Tale^[60]

Musical theatre

• The Band by Tim Firth, based on the music of Take That.^[61]

Film scores and incidental music

Film

• Harry Gregson-Williams - The Zookeeper's Wife
• Daniel Pemberton - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
• Max Richter - The Sense of an Ending

Television

• Dan Jones - SS-GB, The Replacement
• Carly Paradis - Prime Suspect 1973
• Max Richter – Taboo
• Kevin Sargent – Tina and Bobby

British music awards

• Brit Awards – see 2017 Brit Awards

Deaths

• 8 January – Peter Sarstedt, singer, songwriter, and musician, 75^[62]
• 12 January – Larry Steinbachek, keyboardist (Bronski Beat), 56 (cancer)^[63] (death announced on this date)
• 18 January – Mike Kellie, drummer (Spooky Tooth), composer and record producer, 69
• 22 January – Pete Overend Watts, bass guitarist (Mott The Hoople), 69 (throat cancer)
• 28 January – Geoff Nicholls, keyboardist (Black Sabbath), lung cancer, 68
• 31 January
  • Deke Leonard, rock guitarist (Man), 72^[64]
  • John Schroeder, easy listening composer, arranger, songwriter (Sounds Orchestral) and record producer, 82
  • John Wetton, singer, songwriter, bassist (Asia, King Crimson, Uriah Heep), colon cancer, 67
• 3 February – Gervase de Peyer, clarinetist, 90^[65]
• 17 February – Peter Skellern, singer-songwriter, 69
• 13 March – John Lever, drummer (The Chameleons), 55^[66]
• 27 March – Clem Curtis, Trinidadian British singer (The Foundations),76
• 9 April – Alan Henderson, bassist (Them), 72
• 10 April - David Angel, British violinist and founding member of the Maggini Quartet, 62^[67]
• 11 April
  • Eric Cook, heavy metal band manager (Venom) and record label executive, co-founder of Demolition Records, 55 (cancer)^[68]
  • Toby Smith, keyboardist, songwriter, producer (Jamiroquai), cancer, 46
• 13 April - Nona Liddell, violinist, 89^[69]
• 15 April – Allan Holdsworth, guitarist and composer (Bruford, U.K., Soft Machine), 70
• 18 April - Gordon Langford, British composer, 86^[70]
• 28 April - George Pratt, organist and music professor, 82^[71]
• 2 May - Norma Proctor, contralto, 89^[72]
• 5 May – Clive Brooks, drummer (Egg, The Groundhogs), 67^[73]
• 13 May – Jimmy Copley, drummer (Jeff Beck, Graham Parker, Tears for Fears), 63 (leukaemia)^[74]
• 29 May – David Lewiston, British music collector, 88^[75]
• 2 June
  • Malcolm Lipkin, composer, 85^[76]
  • Sir Jeffrey Tate, conductor, 74 (heart attack)^[77]
• 6 June - Vin Garbutt, folk singer, 69 (complications following heart surgery)^[78]

See also

• 2017 in British television
• 2017 in the United Kingdom

References

Music of the United Kingdom
Art music	Early music (England • Ireland • Scotland) Baroque Classical
History of popular music	Early popular music 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s & 2010s
Traditional genres	British folk revival Ballad Carol Children's song Hornpipe Jig Morris dance Protest song Reel Sea shanty Strathspey War song Work song
Contemporary popular genres	Folk Hip Hop Jazz Pop Popular Rock Soul
Ethnic music	Caribbean England Ireland Scotland Wales
Media and performance	Music awards Brit Awards Classic Brit Awards Gramophone Awards Ivor Novello Awards Kerrang! Awards Mercury Prize MOBO Awards Spiral Awards BBC Music Awards Music charts Albums chart Classical charts Compilation chart Dance chart Download chart Indie chart R&B chart Rock chart Singles chart Subscription plays chart Music festivals C2C: Country to Country Cambridge folk Download Edinburgh Eisteddfod Glastonbury Isle of Wight Knebworth Royal National Mòd The Proms Reading and Leeds T in the Park V Music media The Gramophone Kerrang! Melody Maker Mojo NME Q The Wire National anthem "God Save the Queen"
Regional music	British Isles Birmingham (Classical music, Jazz, Popular music) Cardiff Cornwall Liverpool Manchester Northumbria Somerset Sussex Yorkshire Overseas Anguilla Bermuda Cayman Islands Gibraltar Montserrat Turks and Caicos Virgin Islands