1991 in British music

Events

• 14 January – Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's single "Bloodsport for All" is released on the day the Gulf War officially starts, and is banned by the BBC due to its lyrics about racism and bullying in the army.
• 15 January – A new all-star rendition of the John Lennon song "Give Peace a Chance" is released, featuring Yoko Ono, Lenny Kravitz, Peter Gabriel, Alannah Myles, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and many more, billed as "The Peace Choir". The single is rushed to market in response to the imminent Gulf War.
• 11 February – Massive Attack release their single "Unfinished Sympathy" but have to temporarily shorten their name to "Massive" to avoid a radio ban of the word "attack" during the Gulf War.
• 24 February – The Chamber Symphony for 15 players by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, directed by the composer.
• 15 May – The 2,262-seat concert venue Symphony Hall, Birmingham, home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is opened for its first concerts, although the official opening by the Queen takes place on 12 June.
• 15 May – Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers carves the words "4 Real" into his arm with a razor blade during an interview with NME journalist Steve Lamacq, after Lamacq questions the band's authenticity. The incident results in Edwards requiring 18 stitches.
• 17 May – The first performance of Timon of Athens, a two act opera by Stephen Oliver, takes place at the London Coliseum by the English National Opera.
• 25 May – The Stone Roses are released from their contract with Silvertone Records by the High Court, winning up to £500,000 in damages from the label after the band's contract was dismissed by Judge Humphries as "unfair and unjustified". The band would then sign up to Geffen Records, though it would be another 3 years before new material would be released.
• 30 May – The opening night of Harrison Birtwistle's opera Gawain takes place in London at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Elgar Howarth conducting.
• 25 June – The first performance of James MacMillan's Tuireadh (Lament) for clarinet and string quartet, is given by James Campbell and the Allegri Quartet at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall (Orkney Islands).
• 28 June – Paul McCartney's classical composition, the Liverpool Oratorio, receives its premiere at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
• 7 July – The world premiere of John Casken's Cello Concerto takes place at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, with soloist Heinrich Schiff and the Northern Sinfonia.
• 14 August – Oasis play their first ever gig at the Boardwalk Club in Manchester. Noel Gallagher, who was at the time roadie for Inspiral Carpets, went with them to watch his brother's band play.
• 19 September – Summer Music: Concertino No.5 op.74 for oboe, clarinet, and string quartet by Robin Holloway is performed for the first time, at the Purcell Room.
• 27 October – Fruitbat of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine rugby tackles presenter Phillip Schofield at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party after the group performs their single "After the Watershed".
• 9 November – The first performance of the Symphony No 3 by William Mathias takes place at St David's Hall, Cardiff, performed by the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, conductor Grant Llewellyn.
• November – The Rolling Stones sign a new contract with Virgin Records.
• 1 December – George Harrison plays Yokohama, Japan. The brief Japanese tour with Eric Clapton marks his first set of formal concert performances since 1974.
• 11 December – The Strathclyde Concerto No 5 for violin, viola and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies, is performed for the first time in Glasgow.

Publications

• Moura Lympany (with Margot Strickland) – * Moura – Her Autobiography*

Charts

Number-one singles

Number-one albums

Year-end charts

Best-selling singles

Best-selling albums

Classical music

• Roy Douglas – Festivities and A Nowell Sequence for strings
• Michael Tippett – String Quartet No. 5

Music awards

BRIT Awards

The 1991 BRIT Awards winners were:

• Best British producer: Chris Thomas
• Best classical recording: José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti – In Concert
• Best soundtrack: Twin Peaks
• British album: George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
• British breakthrough act: Betty Boo
• British female solo artist: Lisa Stansfield
• British group: The Cure
• British male solo artist: Elton John
• British single: Depeche Mode – "Enjoy the Silence"
• British video: The Beautiful South – "A Little Time"
• International breakthrough act: MC Hammer
• International female: Sinéad O'Connor
• International group: INXS
• International male: Michael Hutchence
• Outstanding contribution: Status Quo

Births

• 12 January – Pixie Lott, singer
• 17 February – Ed Sheeran, singer-songwriter
• 16 June – Joe McElderry, singer
• 17 June – Shura, singer, songwriter and producer
• 30 July – Diana Vickers, singer
• 11 November – Emma Blackery, singer
• 19 December – Declan Galbraith, singer
• 24 December – Louis Tomlinson, singer-songwriter

Deaths

• 8 January – Steve Clark, guitarist (Def Leppard), 30 (alcohol poisoning)
• 21 February – Margot Fonteyn, ballerina, 71
• 9 March – Denise Tolkowsky, pianist and composer, 72
• 24 March – Maudie Edwards, actress and singer, 84
• 27 March – Alfredo Campoli, Italian-born violinist, 84
• 10 April – Martin Hannett (aka Martin Zero), record producer, 42 (heart failure)
• 20 April – Steve Marriott, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Small Faces and Humble Pie), 44 (killed in house fire)
• 11 June – John Vallier, pianist and composer, 70
• 14 June – Joy Finzi, founder of the Finzi Trust, 84
• 30 July – Max Jaffa, violinist and bandleader, 79
• 6 August – Max Rostal, Austrian-born violinist and viola player, 86
• 28 August – Vince Taylor, singer (Vince Taylor and the Playboys), 52
• 25 September – Sydney MacEwan, singer of traditional Scottish and Irish songs, 82
• 27 October – Sir Andrzej Panufnik, Polish-born composer and conductor, 77
• 8 November – Dave Rowbotham, musician, guitarist, (The Durutti Column, the Mothmen), 33 (murdered by unknown hand)
• 14 November – Bryden Thomson, conductor, 63
• 24 November – Freddie Mercury, singer and songwriter, 45 (pneumonia brought on by AIDS)
• 12 December – Ronnie Ross, jazz saxophonist, 58
• 31 December – Christopher Steel, composer, 53

References

References

1. (20 November 1991). "Rolling Stones sign with Virgin Records".
2. Moura Lympany. (1991). "Moura Lympany. Her Autobiography". Peter Owen.
3. (11 January 1992). "1991 Top 100 Singles". Spotlight Publications.
4. (11 January 1992). "1991 Top 100 Albums". Spotlight Publications.
5. Jones, Nicholas (2013). "Formal archetypes, revered masters and singing nightingales: Tippett's string quartets". In Gloag, Kenneth and Jones, Nicholas. The Cambridge Companion to Michael Tippett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 206–28. {{ISBN. 978-1-107-60613-5