1922 in British music

Events

• February – The British National Opera Company gives its first performance, at Bradford.
• April – While appearing in The Cosmopolitan Girl at the Gateshead Empire, Cardiff, Marie Lloyd collapses in her dressing room.
• October – The Leeds Festival takes place, with King George V of the United Kingdom as patron.
• 11 October – Leila Megàne and Sir Edward Elgar make the first complete recording of Sea Pictures, with the composer himself conducting.
• 11 October – Composer Walford Davies is knighted in prime minister David Lloyd George's resignation honours.
• date unknown
• *21-year-old violinist Paul Beard becomes leader of the City of Birmingham Orchestra.
• *Conductor Landon Ronald is knighted.

Popular music

• "March With Me!" w. Douglas Furber m. Ivor Novello
• "The Laughing Policeman" w. Billie Grey, m. George W. Johnson

Classical music: new works

• Arnold Bax – The Happy Forest
• Arthur Bliss – A Colour Symphony
• Eric Coates – Joyous Youth, orchestral suite
• Edward German – The Willow Song
• Hamilton Harty – Piano Concerto
• William Walton – Façade
• Peter Warlock – The Curlew, song cycle based on works by W. B. Yeats

Musical theatre

• 18 May – Whirled into Happiness, with music by Robert Stolz, and book and lyrics by Harry Graham, opens at the Lyric Theatre where it would run for 246 performances, closing on 16 December of the same year. It stars Billy Merson.

Births

• 3 January – Ronald Smith, pianist, composer and teacher
• 7 January – Eric Jupp, English-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor
• 16 February – Sir Geraint Evans, operatic baritone
• February 23 – Johnny Franz, English record producer
• 1 March – Michael Flanders, actor and songwriter
• 9 April – Arthur Tolcher, harmonica player
• 6 June – Iain Hamilton, composer
• 15 June – John Veale, English composer and educator
• 11 August – Ron Grainer, television composer
• 31 August – John Hanson, singer and actor
• 18 September – Ray Steadman-Allen, composer for Salvation Army bands
• 16 October – Max Bygraves, singer and entertainer
• 24 November – Joan Turner, singer and comedian

Deaths

• 18 April – Percy Hilder Miles, composer, conductor and violinist, 43
• 31 May – Rutland Barrington, baritone of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 69
• 24 July – George Thorne, baritone of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 66
• 18 August – Dame Genevieve Ward, soprano, 85
• 22 September – Sir Charles Santley, baritone, 88
• 7 October – Marie Lloyd, British music-hall singer, 52
• date unknown – Charles Macintosh, folk music composer and performer and mycologist, 82