This is a summary of the year 2023 in

British music Throughout the history of the British Isles, the land that is now the United Kingdom has been a major music producer, drawing inspiration from church music and traditional folk music, using instruments from England, Scotland, Northern Irelan ...

Events

January

6 January Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will ev ...

–

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

announces that its originally planned 2023 Glyndebourne on Tour season will not occur, as a result of the reduced funding from Arts Council England for the 2023–2026 National Portfolio. *

9 January Events Pre-1600 * 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain. *1038 – An earthquake in Dingxiang, China kills an estimated 32 ...

– The

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

announces the appointment of James Ainscough as its next chief executive director, effective in the late spring of 2023. *

10 January Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beg ...

– The

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

announces that

Kirill Karabits Kirill Karabits (; born 26 December 1976) is a Ukrainian conductor. Biography Early life The son of the conductor and composer Ivan Karabyts, Karabits was born in Kyiv (then in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union). In his youth, Karabits s ...

is to conclude his chief conductorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2023–2024 season. *

13 January Events Pre-1600 *27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. * 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing s ...

– The

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

announces the appointment of Sam Jackson as the new controller of BBC Radio 3, effective April 2023. * 17 January –

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...

(ACE) announces the presentation to

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

(ENO) of a one-year grant of £11.46M for the period of April 2023 – March 2024, following its previous November 2022 announcement of a total withdrawal of ACE's funding to ENO for the period 2023–2026 unless ENO relocates outside of London. * 31 January – The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Sir George Benjamin as the recipient of the 2023 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.

February

1 February Events Pre-1600 *1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...

– In an interview on Finnish Radio, Sir

Mark Elder Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. Life and career Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the bassoon when in primary school, at Bryanston School, Dorset, and in the National ...

states that he is to stand down as music director of

The Hallé The Hallé is an English symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. Since 1996, the orchestra has been resident at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. History 19th century In May 1857, the pianist and conductor Charles Hallé set u ...

in August 2024, at the close of the 2023–2024 season.. *

3 February Events Pre-1600 *1047 – Drogo of Hauteville is elected as count of the Apulian Normans during the Norman conquest of Southern Italy. * 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, unitin ...

–

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

loses his bid to represent Ireland in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, with the

Public Image Ltd Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon (previously, as Johnny Rotten, lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene (a founding member of the Clash), bassi ...

song "Hawaii". They lose out to Wild Youth. * 11 February –

Pensacola Christian College Pensacola Christian College (PCC) is a private Christian college in Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1974 by Arlin and Beka Horton, it has been accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools since 2013. History Ar ...

in the USA cancels a concert appearance by

The King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the ...

two hours before the scheduled performance time, after objections from a group of students, parents and college staff to the presence of homosexuals in the ensemble. * 18 February – Twelve new pieces of music are commissioned by

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

for his

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

, including a composition by

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

March

* 7 March – The BBC releases its 2023 Classical Review 2023, whose intended plans include: ** A reduction in the number of salaried posts in the three BBC England-based orchestras by 20% ** The closure of the

BBC Singers The BBC Singers is a professional British chamber choir, employed by the BBC. Its origins can be traced to 1924. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time profes ...

15 March Events Pre-1600 *474 BC – Roman consul Aulus Manlius Vulso celebrates an ovation for concluding the war against Veii and securing a forty years truce. *44 BC – The assassination of Julius Caesar, the dictator of the Roman Republ ...

–

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

announces its purchase of

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is a British classical music record label. It was independent until February 2023, when it was acquired by the Universal Music Group. Under Universal, Hyperion is one of the three main classical record labels, alongside Decca a ...

. *

24 March Events Pre-1600 *1199 – King Richard I of England is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting in France, leading to his death on April 6. *1387 – English victory over a Franco- Castilian- Flemish fleet in the Battle of Margate ...

– The BBC announces a reversal of its intended closure of the BBC Singers, following public reactions in protest at the original 7 March 2023 announcement. *

27 March Events Pre-1600 *1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized Ferrara, a papal fiefdom. *1329 – Pope John XXII issu ...

– The

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its adminis ...

announces the appointment of Emma Stenning as its next chief executive, effective 3 April 2023.

April

12 April Events Pre-1600 * 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I. * 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to ...

–

Opera North Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays a ...

announces the appointment of Laura Canning as its next general director, the first woman named to the post, effective December 2023. *

16 April Events Pre-1600 * 1457 BC – Battle of Megido – the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail. * 69 – Defeated by Vitellius' troops at Bedriacum, Roman emperor Otho commits suicide. * 7 ...

– Vox Urbane performs its inaugural concert at the Asylum Chapel in Peckham, London. *

23 April Events Pre-1600 * 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. *599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in so ...

– "

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is a song written and performed by Scottish duo the Proclaimers, and first released in August 1988 by Chrysalis as the lead single from their second album, '' Sunshine on Leith'' (1988). The song reached number 11 in ...

" by

The Proclaimers The Proclaimers are a Scottish Rock music, rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid (born 5 March 1962). They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America (song), Letter from America", which reached No. 3 ...

is removed from an official King's Coronation playlist celebrating British and Commonwealth artists after they were criticised for expressing anti-royal views. * 25 April –

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). Johnson and Ruther ...

confirm they are to re-form in order to play a concert at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, the band's first live performance for 36 years. *

27 April Events Pre-1600 * 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ''ludi saeculares''. * 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one o ...

– British singer

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...

joins

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...

for the final edition of ''

Carpool Karaoke Carpool Karaoke was a recurring segment on '' The Late Late Show with James Corden'', in which host James Corden invites famous musical guests to sing along to their songs with him while traveling in a car driven by Corden on a planned route usu ...

''. *

28 April Events Pre-1600 * 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V, effectively ending the Parthian Empire. * 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory ...

–

HMV HMV is an international music and entertainment retailer, founded in 1921. The brand is owned by Hilco Capital and operated by Sunrise Records, except in Japan, where it is owned and operated by Lawson. The inaugural shop was opened on Lo ...

announces plans to reopen its flagship store at 363 Oxford Street four years after it closed when the company went into administration.

May

3 May Events Pre-1600 * 752 – Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico, assumes the throne. * 1481 – The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties. ...

– The

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

announces

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

and

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

as among its roster of inductees for 2023. *

4 May Events Pre-1600 *1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae''. *1415 – Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a ...

– A jury at the

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...

decides that

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

did not copy

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

's "

Let's Get It On ''Let's Get It On'' is the twelfth studio album by the American soul singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye. It was released on August 28, 1973, by the Motown subsidiary label Tamla Records on LP. Recording sessions for the album took place dur ...

" when composing "

Thinking Out Loud "Thinking Out Loud" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran recorded for his second studio album, '' ×'' (2014). It was written by Sheeran and Amy Wadge, and produced by frequent collaborator Jake Gosling. It was released in the US ...

". * 5 May – The official build-up to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest begins in Liverpool with a concert by Ukraine's

Kalush Orchestra Kalush Orchestra is a Ukrainian folk-hip hop group founded in 2021 as a side project of Kalush (rap group), Kalush, performing hip-hop music in the Ukrainian language. They Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, represented Ukraine in the ...

to open the fans village. *

7 May Events Pre-1600 * 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch. * 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I imm ...

– At the

Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, Camilla, as Monarchy of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth re ...

, the following new classical compositions receive their world premieres: **

Judith Weir Dame Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer. She served as Master of the King's Music from 2014 to 2024. Appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir was the first woman to hold this office. Early life Weir was born in Cambridge, Englan ...

– ''Brighter Visions Shine Afar'' **

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins, , Honorary Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, HonFLSW (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song "Adiemus (song), Adiemus" (1995, from the Adi ...

– ''Crossing the Stone'' ** Sarah Class – ''Sacred Fire'' **

Nigel Hess Nigel John Hess (born 22 July 1953) is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to '' Campion'', ''Maigret'', '' Wycliffe'', '' Dangerfield'', '' Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'', ...

, Roderick Williams, Shirley Thompson – ''Be Thou My Vision'' ** Iain Farrington – ''Voices of the World'' **

Patrick Doyle Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953) is a Scottish composer and occasional actor best known for his film scores. During his 50-year career in film, television and theatre, he has composed the scores for over 60 feature films. A longtime collaborato ...

– ''King Charles III Coronation March'' **

Paul Mealor Paul Mealor CLJ FLSW (born 25 November 1975) is a Welsh composer. A large proportion of his output is for chorus, both a cappella and accompanied. He came to wider notice when his motet ''Ubi Caritas et Amor'' was performed at the wedding ...

– ''Kyrie Eleison'' (the first composition sung in Welsh at a coronation) ** Christopher Robinson – ''The Recognition'' **

Debbie Wiseman Debbie Wiseman, OBE (born 10 May 1963) is a British composer for film, television and the concert hall, known also as a conductor and a radio and television presenter. Biography Wiseman was born in Belsize Park, north west London, and attend ...

– ''Alleluia'' **

– ''Make A Joyful Noise'' ** Roxanna Panufnik – ''Coronation Sanctus'' ** Tarik O'Regan – ''Coronation Agnus Dei'' *

10 May Events Pre-1600 *28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. *1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edwar ...

– A performance by

The View ''The View'' is an American talk show created by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. , in its 28th season, the show has aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC as part of the network's ABC Daytime, daytime programming block since August ...

at Manchester's Deaf Institute comes to an abrupt end after an onstage fight breaks out between band members. *

13 May Events Pre-1600 *1344 – A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades. *1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, vis ...

– The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Liverpool and is won by Sweden.

June

* 6 June – The BBC announces its new roster of New Generation Artists for the period 2023–2025: ** James Atkinson (baritone) ** Alim Beisembayev (pianist) ** Chaos Quartet ** Giorgi Gigashvili (pianist) ** Niamh O’Sullivan (mezzo-soprano) ** Michael Pandya (collaborative pianist) ** Johanna Wallroth (soprano) *

16 June Events Pre-1600 * 632 – Yazdegerd III ascends the throne as king (''shah'') of the Persian Empire. He becomes the last ruler of the Sasanian dynasty (modern Iran). *1407 – Ming–Hồ War: Retired King Hồ Quý Ly and his son K ...

** The

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...

announces the appointment of Anna-Maria Helsing as its next chief conductor, the first female conductor to be named to the post and the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of any BBC orchestra, effective 1 October 2023, with an initial contract of three seasons. ** King's Birthday Honours: *** Kathryn McDowell is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. ***

Ivor Bolton Ivor Bolton Ivor Bolton (born 17 May 1958) is an English conductor and harpsichordist. Early life and education Bolton was born in Blackrod, Greater Manchester, England. He studied at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn and Clare C ...

and

Tasmin Little Tasmin Elizabeth Little (born 13 May 1965) is an English classical music, classical violinist. She is a concerto solo (music), soloist and also performs as a Concert#Recital, recitalist and chamber musician. She has released numerous albums, winn ...

are each made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). ***

Lucy Crowe Lucy Mary Elizabeth Crowe is an English soprano in opera and concert. She has performed at international opera houses and music festivals such as the Glyndebourne Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival. Career Born in Staffordshire, England, C ...

, Janine Irons, Nicky Spence, and

Caron Wheeler Caron Melina Wheeler (born 19 January 1963) is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. Born and raised in London, she performed in various singing competitions as a teenager and began her recording career as one of the found ...

are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) *** Rekesh Chauhan,

Peter Corry Peter Andrew Corry is a Northern Irish singer, director, producer and actor. As a performer Corry has been cast in productions of ''Così fan tutte'', ''The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedi ...

Jennie Muskett Jennifer Jean Muskett is a British Emmy winning and Bafta nominated film and TV composer. Biography Jennie Muskett has lived in London, South Africa and LA and has established an international reputation as a composer for film and television, ...

and Jyotsna Srikanth are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). *

18 June Events Pre-1600 * 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China. * 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. * 860 – Byzantine–Rus' War: A fleet of about ...

– BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2023 competition results: ** Main Prize: Adolfo Corrado ** Song Prize: Sungho Kim ** Audience Prize: Julieth Lozano Rolong * 20 June –

announces the appointment of

Wong Kah Chun Wong Kah Chun (; born 24 June 1986), also known as Kahchun Wong, is a Singaporean conductor. Biography Wong was born in 1986 to Victor Wong, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) warrant officer, and Yeo Huay Lan, a childcare teacher. His family lived ...

as its next principal conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons. *

23 June Events Pre-1600 * 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu. * 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships. *1280 – The Spanish Rec ...

** The

Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...

make a surprise appearance at the

Glastonbury Festival 2023 The 2023 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts took place between 21 and 25 June and followed the 2022 edition of the festival. The three headlining acts were Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses and Elton John, with Yusuf / Cat Steven ...

, appearing on the Pyramid Stage. ** The

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. They comprise lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. The co-founder and original bassist Andy Nicholson ...

headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023, their third appearance at the festival. *

24 June Events Pre-1600 * 1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. * 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, northwest of Rome. ...

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, radio DJ and podcaster. He gained fame through his association with the production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, releasing the 1987 album ''Whenever You Need Somebody'', which sol ...

plays the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023. **

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...

headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023. * 25 June –

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

plays the final UK concert of his farewell tour at Glastonbury 2023, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the festival's final day. * 27 June –

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

announces a sabbatical from touring for the "foreseeable future" after struggling to finish his set at Glastonbury 2023. *

29 June Events Pre-1600 * 226 – Cao Rui succeeds his father as emperor of Wei. * 1149 – Raymond of Poitiers is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din Zangi. *1170 – A major earthquake hits Syria, badly damaging tow ...

– National Youth Orchestras of Scotland announce the appointment of Catherine Larsen-Maguire to the newly created post of music director, effective 2024, with an initial tenure of 3 years.

July

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and th ...

–

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

airs a special edition of '' Later... with Jools Holland'' dedicated entirely to

Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...

to coincide with the release of '' Council Skies'', the fourth studio album by his band,

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of Oasis (band), Oasis songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Noel Gallagher. The touring band consists of former Oasis members Gem Archer ( ...

. *

4 July Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and procl ...

– Britten Pears Arts announces that Roger Wright is to stand down as its chief executive in July 2024. *

6 July Events Pre-1600 * 371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta's reputation of military invincibility. * 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under 'Amr ibn al-'As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt) ...

** The

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

announces the appointment of James Williams as its next Director, effective 1 September 2024. ** The

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...

announces that James Williams is to stand down as its managing director, at the close of the 2023–2024 season. * 14 July – The '' First Night of the Proms'' is briefly interrupted by two protestors from

Just Stop Oil Just Stop Oil (JSO) was a British environmental activist group primarily focused on the issue of Climate change, human-caused climate change. The group aimed to force the British government to commit to ending new Energy in the United Kingdom, f ...

, who climb on stage at the

and unfurl an orange banner, before being removed by security staff. * 27 July –

announces an additional £24M grant for

from the period of April 2024 – March 2026, with an extended time frame to March 2029 for relocation of the company outside of London. *

28 July Events Pre-1600 *1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina. *1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. *1571 – La Laguna encomienda, known ...

announces that it is to make available for streaming access 200 albums from its catalogue, for the first time in the company's history. ** Three tracks from the ''Barbie'' soundtrack enter the UK singles Chart in the top five, the first time three songs from the same soundtrack have been in the top five at the same time. The songs are ''

What Was I Made For? "What Was I Made For?" is a ballad by American singer Billie Eilish. It was released through Atlantic, Darkroom, and Interscope Records on July 13, 2023, as the fifth single from the soundtrack to the fantasy comedy film ''Barbie'' (2023). " ...

'' by

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

at number three, ''

Dance the Night "Dance the Night" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from the soundtrack to the fantasy comedy film ''Barbie'' (2023). Lipa co-wrote the song with songwriter Caroline Ailin and its producers Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson; the Pic ...

'' by

Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Lipa worked as a model before v ...

at number four, and '' Barbie World'' by

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

and

Ice Spice Isis Naija Gaston (born January1, 2000), known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she began her musical career during college in 2020, after meeting record producer ...

at number five.

August

4 August Events Pre-1600 * 598 – Goguryeo-Sui War: In response to a Goguryeo (Korean) incursion into Liaoxi, Emperor Wéndi of Sui orders his youngest son, Yang Liang (assisted by the co-prime minister Gao Jiong), to conquer Goguryeo during t ...

– The Official Chart now has four songs from the ''Barbie'' soundtrack inside the top ten, as Speed Drive by

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

reaches number 9. *

11 August Events Pre-1600 * 3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins. * 2492 BC – Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and found ...

** The

Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra is a full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. Based in Belfast, the orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall. It also gives concerts across the United Kingdom ...

confirms that

Daniele Rustioni Daniele Rustioni (born 1983) is an Italian conductor. Biography Rustioni was born in Milan, and studied piano, organ, and composition at the Milan Conservatory. He sang in the boys choir of the Teatro alla Scala in his youth. He studied cello fo ...

is to stand down as its music director at the close of the 2023–2024 season. ** A

UK Health Security Agency The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a government agency responsible for all health security in England, and some reserved public health protection matters across the whole of the United Kingdom. It is an executive agency of the Department ...

investigation into a number of cases of sickness and diarrhoea at the 2023

WOMAD Festival WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, w ...

is inconclusive on a cause. * 14 August – The BBC's

Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London. It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, ...

, which have been the venue for performances by artists including

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and

, are sold to a group led by composer

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...

. * 18 August – For the first time in its 70-year history, the top six selling singles on the Official Chart are by female artists. They are, 1: "

" by

, 2: "

" by

, 3: "

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

" by

Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film '' An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success'' (2015). She rose ...

, 4: " Cruel Summer" by

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

, 5: " (It Goes Like) Nanana" by

Peggy Gou Kim Min-ji (; born 3 July 1991), known as Peggy Gou ( ; ), is a South Korean DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer based in Berlin, Germany. She has released seven Extended play, EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and The Vinyl Fact ...

, and 6: " Bad Idea Right?" by Olivia Rodrigo. *

20 August Events Pre-1600 *AD 14 – Agrippa Postumus, maternal grandson of the late Roman emperor Augustus, is mysteriously executed by his guards while in exile. * 636 – Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take contro ...

– The UK government gives the go ahead to plans for a northern version of London's

BRIT School BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology is a British performing and creative arts school located in Selhurst, Croydon, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, music, music technology, ...

, based in Bradford. * 23 August – An advertisement for a fictional glass repair business in the ''

Hackney Gazette Archant Limited is a newspaper and magazine publishing company with headquarters in Norwich, England. The group publishes four daily newspapers, around 50 weekly newspapers, and 80 consumer and contract magazines. The company is a subsidiary of ...

'' is believed to be a teaser for a new

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

album as it contains several references to the band's past songs. * 24 August – Conductor Sir

John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Church cantata (Bach), Bach's church ...

pulls out of the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

after being accused of assaulting a singer who left the podium in the wrong direction during a concert in France. * 25 August – 25-year-old pianist Alim Beisembayev makes his BBC Proms debut playing

Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

's Second Piano Concerto at the

as a replacement for

Benjamin Grosvenor Benjamin Grosvenor (born 8 July 1992) is a British classical pianist. Education Grosvenor was born and brought up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. He is the youngest of five brothers. His father is an English and Drama teacher, a ...

, who was taken ill. *

31 August Events Pre-1600 * 1056 – After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. * 1057 – Abdication of Byzantine Emperor Michael VI Bringas after just one yea ...

– Sir John Eliot Gardiner announces his withdrawal from his remaining 2023 concert engagements to seek psychological treatment, following his striking of bass William Thomas on 22 August at the Festival Berlioz in La Côte-Saint-André, France.

September

1 September Events Pre-1600 * 1145 – The main altar of Lund Cathedral, at the time the seat of the archiepiscopal see of all the Nordic countries, is consecrated. *1173 – The widow Stamira sacrifices herself in order to raise the siege of An ...

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland, consisting of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), and Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, keyboards, backi ...

frontman

Gary Lightbody Gareth John Lightbody (born 15 June 1976) is a Northern Irish musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has also founded the musical supergroups the Reindeer Section and T ...

says the band will continue as a trio after

Johnny Quinn Johnny Quinn (born November 6, 1983) is an American bobsledder and former gridiron football player. He is a member of the U.S. National Bobsled Team and competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Quinn is a former wide receiver for the Saskatchewa ...

and Paul Wilson announce their departure from the group. **

Sophie Ellis Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and ...

headlines the 2023

Blackpool Illuminations Blackpool Illuminations is an annual Illuminations (festival), lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the The Fylde, Fylde Coast in Lancashire ...

switch-on concert. *

5 September Events Pre-1600 * 917 – Liu Yan declares himself emperor, establishing the Southern Han state in southern China, at his capital of Panyu. * 1367 – Swa Saw Ke becomes king of Ava *1590 – Alexander Farnese's army forces Hen ...

– Shireland CBSO Academy, the first school in the UK to be partnered with an orchestra, opens in

West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ), commonly known as West Brom, is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is northwes ...

. The school is partnered with the

. *

6 September Events Pre-1600 * 394 – Battle of the Frigidus: Roman emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills Eugenius the usurper. His Frankish ''magister militum'' Arbogast escapes but commits suicide two days later. *1492 – Christopher Colu ...

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

announce '' Hackney Diamonds'', their 24th studio album and first album of original material since 2005. ** A Yamaha

baby grand piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

used by

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...

to compose some of

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

's best known songs sells at auction for £1.7m. * 7 September – Jazz quintet

Ezra Collective Ezra Collective are a British jazz quintet composed of drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and tenor saxophonist James Mollison, who met at the jazz youth programme Tomorr ...

win the 2023 Mercury Prize for their second studio album, '' Where I'm Meant to Be'', becoming the first jazz act to win the prize. * 9 September ** " Sprinter", a track by

Dave Dave may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the 1993 film * ''Dave'' (TV series), a 2020 American comedy series * ...

and

Central Cee Oakley Neil Caesar-Su (born 4 June 1998), known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper from Shepherd's Bush, London. Regarded as a leading figure in UK rap, he rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of his drill singles "Day i ...

, is declared the UK Official Chart's song of summer 2023. ** The traditional ''

Last Night of the Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

'' is held at the

and in the middle of a late summer heatwave. * 13 September ** News reports reveal the new name of the Sage Gateshead complex as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. ** Jazz FM confirms that the annual Jazz FM Awards will return in Spring 2024, moving back to spring following disruption during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. *

15 September Events Pre-1600 * 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes. *1440 – Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against him by ...

Sugababes The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by Ron Tom, the manager of All Saints, ...

release " When the Rain Comes", their first single in a decade and the first to be released since the original line-up of

Mutya Buena Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena (; born 21 May 1985) is an English singer and songwriter who rose to fame as a member of girl group Sugababes. With the Sugababes, Buena had four UK number-one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-plati ...

Keisha Buchanan Keisha Kerreece Fayeanne Buchanan (; born 30 September 1984) is an English singer and songwriter and a founding member of the girl group Sugababes alongside Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy. With Sugababes, she has had six number-one singles and ...

and Siobhán Donaghy regained the rights to Sugababes name in 2019. **

Lambeth Council Lambeth London Borough Council, which styles itself Lambeth Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of the 32 in London. The council has been under Labour ...

gives the

O2 Academy Brixton Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...

the go-ahead to reopen once the venue has met 77 "extensive and robust" conditions "designed to promote public safety". *

20 September Events Pre-1600 *1058 – Agnes of Poitou and Andrew I of Hungary meet to negotiate about the border territory of Burgenland. *1066 – At the Battle of Fulford, Harald Hardrada defeats earls Morcar and Edwin. * 1187 – Saladin ...

– The

announces the winners of its BBC Young Composer 2023 competition: ** Lower Junior Category (age 12–14) *** Atharv Gupta – ''Demain, Dès L'Aube'' *** Avram Harris – ''Across the Void'' ** Upper Junior Category (age 15–16) *** Advaith Jagannath – ''Saturn Devouring his Son'' *** Pascal Bachmann –'' Étude-Grotesque'' ** Senior Category (age 17–18) *** Jamie Smith – ''Into Oblivion'' *** Reese Carly Manglicmot – ''Rumble'' * 21 September – LIVE, the voice of the UK's live music industry, appoints

Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with BBC Radio 6 Music. Lamacq was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire ( ...

as its new Chair. *

25 September Events Pre-1600 * 275 – For the last time, the Roman Senate chooses an emperor; they elect 75-year-old Marcus Claudius Tacitus. * 762 – Led by Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, the Hasanid branch of the Alids begins the Alid Revolt a ...

–

Louise Redknapp Louise Elizabeth Redknapp (née Nurding; born 4 November 1974), professionally known as Louise, is an English singer, dancer and media personality. She was a member of Eternal, an R&B girl group which debuted in 1993 with their quadruple-pla ...

and

Kéllé Bryan Kéllé Bryan (born 12 March 1975) is an English singer and actress. Known as one of the founding members of girl group Eternal, she sold more than 10 million records and achieved the UK number-one single, " I Wanna Be The Only One" alongside ...

are reported to have pulled out of a planned

Eternal Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to: * Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state * Immortality or eternal life * God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism Comics, film and television * ...

reunion tour scheduled for 2024 after a row occurred because their former bandmates, sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, refused to play at LGBTQ and Pride events.

October

* 4 October – The Snug in

Atherton, Greater Manchester Atherton () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England and Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. The town, including Hindsford, Howe Bridge and Hag Fold railway station, Hag Fold, is ...

, is the first grassroots gig venue to benefit from the

Music Venue Trust The Music Venue Trust is a UK registered charitable organisation which aims to protect, secure and improve grassroots music venues in the United Kingdom. Paul McCartney has spoken out in support of the MVT, saying in 2016 that "If we don’t su ...

's "Own Our Properties" plan, where music fans can invest in venues to save them from increasing rents and closure. * 10 October – Bilingual pop duo Rogue Jones win the 2023 Welsh Music Prize for their album '' Dos Bebés''. *

15 October Events Pre-1600 *1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later. *1211 ...

–

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. Biography The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studi ...

resigns as music director of

with immediate effect, in protest at proposed music personnel reductions to the company's music staff. * 20 October – Welsh rapper Ren Gill reaches number one in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

with his second album '' Sick Boi'', an account of chronic illness that has left him unable to perform on stage. *

25 October Events Pre-1600 * 285 or 286 – Execution of Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers. * 473 – Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II a ...

** The

announces the appointment of Bill Chandler as the next director of the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

and BBC Symphony Chorus, effective December 2023. ** In parallel with his appointment to the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Bill Chandler is to stand down as director of the

, as of December 2023. ** The BBC announces the appointment of Adam Szabo as director of the

BBC Philharmonic The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at Media ...

, effective February 2024. ** Manchester Collective announces that Adam Szabo is to stand down as its artistic director and chief executive, effective January 2024. * 26 October – Scottish band

Young Fathers Young Fathers are a Scottish Progressive rap, progressive hip hop group formed in Edinburgh in 2008. Their second EP, ''Tape Two'' (2013), won the Scottish Album of the Year Award. In 2014, they won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize, Mercury Prize ...

win the 2023 Scottish Album of the Year Award for their fourth album, '' Heavy Heavy''. *

27 October Events Pre-1600 *312 – Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. * 1275 – Traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam. * 1524 – French troops lay siege to Pavia. * 1553 – Condemn ...

– The

Dartington College of Arts Dartington College of Arts was a specialist arts college located at Dartington Hall in the south-west of England, offering courses at degree and postgraduate level together with an arts research programme. It existed for a period of almost 50 ...

announces that its planned 2024 summer school season is on hold, and the resignation of Sara Mohr-Pietsch and the summer school staff, with immediate effect.

November

* 2 November ** " Now and Then", described by the surviving members of

as their "last song", receives its public premiere. ** The sale of tickets for the 2024 Glastonbury Festival is delayed for two weeks "out of fairness" to customers who did not realise their registration had expired. * 3 November – The re-recorded version of

's album ''

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

'' becomes the fastest selling album of 2023, selling 184,000 copies in the UK in its week of release, more than doubling the sales of the original version released in 2014. * 7 November – ** The

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings a ...

announces the appointment of Helen Wallace as its new head of music, effective February 2024. **

Kings Place Kings Place is a building in London's King's Cross area, providing music and visual arts venues combined with seven floors of office space. It has housed the editorial offices of ''The Guardian'' newspaper since December 2008 and is the form ...

announces that Helen Wallace is to stand down as its artistic and executive director at the close of January 2024. **

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scott ...

announces the appointment of Maria Seletskaja as its next music director, effective with the 2024–2025 season. ** Arcangelo announces the appointment of Sir Nicholas Kenyon as its next chair of trustees, effective March 2024. * 10 November ** Remastered versions of The Beatles' '' Red Album'' and '' Blue Album'' are released to coincide with the issue of their final track, "Now and Then", which is included on the release. ** "Now and Then" tops the UK Singles Chart, giving The Beatles the longest gap between the first and last number one. * 16 November –

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...

announces the scheduled closure of its music department and the shuttering of its music programmes in 2026. * 17 November – The new versions of The Beatles' ''Red Album'' and ''Blue Album'' are beaten to the top of the

UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...

by Taylor Swift's ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'', putting them in the same position as the original 1973 release of the albums, which were beaten to number one by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. A departure from the glam rock style of previous albums, the record showcased Bowie's interest in soul and R&B. ...

''. The ''Blue Album'' reaches number two, while the ''Red Album'' reaches number three, the same positions they were at in 1973. * 19 November – Tickets for Glastonbury 2024 go on sale at 9.00am, and sell out within an hour. * 22 November – The four remaining members of

Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop music, pop girl group that was created through the ITV (TV network), ITV talent show ''Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl (singer), Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, N ...

–

Cheryl Tweedy Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a pop girl group created through ITV's reality competition show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. Named the ...

Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott ( Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, dancer, television presenter and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series ''Popstars: The Rivals'' on ITV (TV network), ITV. Th ...

Nadine Coyle Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle (born 15 June 1985) is an Irish singer. In 2002, she was selected as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The Rivals''. T ...

and

Nicola Roberts Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2002, Roberts was selected as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: Th ...

–announce a reunion tour for 2024 following an eleven year break, and will dedicate the show to their late bandmate,

Sarah Harding Sarah Harding (born Sarah Nicole Hardman; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV (TV channel), ITV reality series ''Po ...

. * 23 November – The BBC announces that David Pickard is to stand down as director of The Proms after the 2024 season. * 24 November ** Organisers of the BRIT Awards announce they will update the rules for the 2024 Awards ceremony following controversy over the introduction of gender neutral awards when no female artists were nominated for Best Artist. The list of nominations for the prize will be expanded from five to ten. There will also be a prize for Best R'n'B Act. **

Blink 182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...

Fred Again Frederick John Philip Gibson (born 19 July 1993), known professionally as Fred Again (stylised as Fred again..) or simply Fred (stylised as FRED), is an English record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. At the 66th Ann ...

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

and

Catfish and the Bottlemen Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British indie rock band formed in Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, in 2007. The band currently consists of Van McCann (lead vocals, guitars) and Benji Blakeway (bass guitar, backing vocals). Their debut album, '' The Bal ...

are among the acts announced as headline acts for the 2024

Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...

. *

27 November Events Pre-1600 * AD 25 – Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han. * 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank of "Imperator" and makes him Supreme Commander of the Ro ...

– Members of Glasgow's

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

vote to ban the use of the

Confederate Flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

at the venue. *

30 November Events Pre-1600 * 978 – Franco-German war of 978–980: Holy Roman Emperor Otto II lifts the siege of Paris and withdraws. 1601–1900 *1707 – Queen Anne's War: The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of t ...

– The Bristol Beacon music venue, previously known as Colston Hall, reopens after refurbishment and five years after it closed for repairs.

December

* 4 December –

announces the appointment of Adam Hickox as the new principal conductor of Glyndebourne Sinfonia, with immediate effect. * 5 December – English National Opera announces Greater Manchester as the site of its planned new headquarters. * 7 December – Indie band

The Last Dinner Party The Last Dinner Party are a British indie rock band from London, formed in 2021. The band consists of Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass) and Aurora ...

are named winners of the 2023 Brit Award for Rising Star. * 8 December – A total of 28 of the 40 songs in the week's Official Top 40 are festive songs, with "

Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!. Written and produced by George Michael, it was released on 3 December 1984 via CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side via Epic Records with " Everything She Wants" in several Eur ...

" by

Wham! Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...

reaching number one for a fourth time. *

20 December Events Pre-1600 *AD 69 – Antonius Primus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian. *1192 – Richard I of England is captured and imprisoned by Leopold V of Austria on his way home to England af ...

–

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

announces that Dame Sarah Connolly is to receive The King's Medal for Music. * 22 December – Wham!'s "Last Christmas" becomes the 2023 UK Christmas number one single 39 years after its release. Its main contender for the position, " You're Christmas to Me" by

Sam Ryder Sam Ryder Robinson (born 25 June 1989) is an English singer, songwriter, producer, composer and social media personality. He rose to prominence in 2020, after posting music covers on TikTok, during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom, f ...

, finishes at number two. * 29 December – The

2024 New Year Honours The 2024 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...

are published. ** Dame

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...

is made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour. **

is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. **

Michael Eavis Sir Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis (born 17 October 1935) is an English dairy farmer and the co-creator of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place at his farm in Pilton, Somerset. Personal life Eavis was born in Pilton, Somerset on 17 Oc ...

is made a Knight Bachelor. ** Don Black and Lady Robey are each made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. ** James Ainscough, Paul Burger, Laurence Cummings, Michael Eakin, Yvette Griffith, and

Carolyn Sampson Carolyn Margaret Sampson (born 18 May 1974) is an English soprano in opera and concert. Specialising in historically informed performance, she has sung in Masaaki Suzuki's recording project of Bach cantatas and has appeared at the English Natio ...

are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. ** Rachel Cowgill,

Huw Edwards Huw Edwards ( , ; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh news presenter. He was the lead presenter of ''BBC News at Ten'', the late evening news programme of BBC Television, from 2003 to 2023. He resigned from the BBC in 2024, during a police investi ...

Margaret Fingerhut Margaret Ruth Fingerhut (born 30 March 1955) is a British classical pianist. She is known for her innovative recital programmes and recordings in which she explores lesser known piano repertoire. The composer and reviewer Paul Corfield Godfr ...

Anna Lapwood Anna Ruth Ella Lapwood (born 28 July 1995) is a British organist, choir director and television and radio presenter, whose recordings have reached a wide audience on social media since she was appointed as an associate artist at the Royal Alber ...

, Blair Parham, Selina Webb, Carla Marie Williams and Allan Young are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. ** Margaret Archibald, Wiliam Hutton, Christopher Kent, Bernard Vause, William Watson, Martin White, and Jonathan Willcocks are each awarded the

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

. * 30 December – Busking duo Jen & Liv win Series 12 of ITV's '' The Voice''. * 31 December – BBC One ends 2023 with the concert '' Rick Astley Rocks New Year's Eve''.

is joined by various guests, including

Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the The X Factor (British series 9), ninth series of the television talent s ...

with whom he performs a rendition of the Dead of Alive track "

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984 by Epic Records, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ...

Bands reformed

(for performance at Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool) *

Haircut One Hundred Haircut One Hundred (also Haircut 100) are a British pop group formed in 1980 in Beckenham, London, by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes and Graham Jones. In 1981 and 1982, the band scored four UK top-10 singles: " Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" ...

* Heavenly * Love and Rockets *

Rialto The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Ria ...

S Club 7 S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, are a British pop group formed in 1998 by Simon Fuller after he was fired as manager of the Spice Girls. Original members were Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O'Meara, Ha ...

The Soup Dragons The Soup Dragons are a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series ''Clangers'', the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song " I'm Fre ...

Stray Stray or The Stray or ''variation'', may refer to: Animals * A feral (abandoned or escaped) domestic animal; see also estray * A stray or free-ranging dog Places * Areas of open grassland in North Yorkshire: ** Strays of York ** The Stray (Harro ...

Classical works

* Julian Anderson – ''ECHOES'' * Kristina Arakelyan – ''Whin Lands'' (texts by Katrina Porteous) * Newton Armstrong – ''The Book of the Sediments * Gerald Barry – ''Kafka's Earplugs'' * Olivia Belli – ''Limina Luminis'' * Laura Bowler – ''Advert'' * Kerensa Briggs – ''Ode to a Savior'' * Linda Buckley – ''Mallacht'' *

Anna Clyne Anna Clyne (born 9 March 1980) is an English composer resident in the United States. She has worked in both acoustic music and electroacoustic music. Biography Born on 9 March 1980 in London, Clyne began writing music as a child, completing her ...

– ''Weathered'' (clarinet concerto) * Brian Elias – ''I saw a peacock'' * Rufus Isabel Elliot – ''the stones in the river by our camp in the forest / the space on the ground where we lay'' * Sadie Harrison – ''The River Dreams of Winter'' (first public performance) * Hannah Kendall – ''O flower of fire'' * Sarah Lianne Lewis – ''The Sky Didn't Fall'' * Christian Mason (music) and Paul Griffiths (text) – ''The Singing Tree'' * Grace-Evangeline Mason ** ''A Memory of the Ocean'' ** ''ABLAZE THE MOON'' * David Matthews – String Quartet No. 17 * Scott McLaughlin – ''The Dirac Sea: Folds in continuous fields'' * Roxanna Panufnik (music) and

Jessica Duchen Jessica Duchen is a British music writer, novelist, playwright and opera librettist. Life Born in London, Duchen studied music at Cambridge University. She was a classical music correspondent for ''The Independent'' for 12 years. She has written on ...

(texts) – ''Gallery of Memories'' * Joseph Phibbs – ''Flame and Shadow'' * Adam Pounds – Symphony No 4. * Colin Riley – ''Hearing Places'' * Angela Elizabeth Slater – ''Where skies aflame'' (for string quartet) * Ryan Wigglesworth – ''Quatre Vignettes de Jules Renard'' (version for voice and orchestra)

New operas

* Sarah Angliss and Ross Sutherland – ''Giant'' * Sir George Benjamin and Martin Crimp – ''Picture a Day Like This'' * Conor Mitchell – ''Abomination: A DUP Opera'' *

Joby Talbot Joby Talbot (born 25 August 1971) is a British composer. He has written for a wide variety of purposes, with a broad range of styles, including instrumental and vocal concert music, film and television scores, pop arrangements and works for dan ...

and

Gene Scheer Gene Scheer (born April 28, 1958) is an American songwriter, librettist and lyricist. He is the brother of Samuel Scheer, who is an English teacher at Windsor High School and a part-time musician. Education and early career Scheer was born in New ...

– ''The Diving Bell and the Butterfly * Philip Venables and Ted Huffman – ''The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions''

British music awards

5 January Events Pre-1600 * 1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France. 1601–1900 *1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French arm ...

– R&B band

Flo Flo or FLO may refer to: People * Flo (name), a list of people with the name Flo * Flo, nickname of LB1, a ''Homo floresiensis'' fossil Places * Flo, Norway, a village near Stryn, Vestland * Flo, Sweden, a historic parish near Grästorp, ...

are announced as the BBC Sound of 2023. * 11 February – The 2023 Brit Awards are held at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and presented by comedian

Mo Gilligan Mosiah Bikila Gilligan (born 19 February 1988) is a British stand-up comedian, television presenter and content creator. He is known for his observational comedy. After several years of uploading comedy clips to social media, he found a wider au ...

. * 7 September – The 2023 Mercury Prize is awarded at London's

Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...

. * 10 October – The 2023 Welsh Music Prize is awarded at a ceremony in Cardiff's

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre () is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on ...

. * 26 October ** The

2023 UK Music Video Awards The 2023 UK Music Video Awards were held on 26 October 2023, at Magazine London in London, to recognise the best in music videos and music film making from United Kingdom and worldwide. The ceremony was hosted by American singer and former Scissor ...

are held at Magazine London in

, to recognise the best in music videos and music film making from

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and worldwide. ** The Scottish Album of the Year Award is presented at

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

's Albert Halls.

Charts and sales

Number-one singles

The singles chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Number-one albums

The albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Number-one compilation albums

The compilation chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Year-end charts

Top singles of the year

This chart was published by the Official Charts Company on December 29, 2023

Best-selling albums

This chart was published by the Official Charts Company on January 3, 2024 For the first time in British music history, an album that never reached number one on the weekly chart became the biggest-selling album of the year. ''

The Highlights ''The Highlights'' is the second greatest hits album, and first one released globally, by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on February 5, 2021, and follows the release of his fourth studio album '' After Hours'' (2020) and h ...

'', by

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

, also sold all its albums in digital and streaming formats.

Deaths

2 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. * 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. ...

– Andrew Downes, English classical composer, 72 *

3 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. * 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except ...

–

Alan Rankine Alan Rankine (17 May 1958 – 2 January 2023) was a Scottish musician and record producer best known as keyboardist and guitarist for rock band the Associates, which he co-founded with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s. Early l ...

, Scottish musician, producer, member of ( the Associates), 64 *

–

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...

, English guitarist, singer, (

The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ...

), ( Jeff Beck Group), 78 * 15 January –

Bruce Gowers Bruce Gowers (21 December 1940 – 15 January 2023) was a British television director and producer, best known for his work on large-scale live music and event productions. Life and career Gowers was born in West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland on ...

, English music video director ("

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''A Night at the Opera (Queen album), A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by Queen's lead si ...

"), 82 * 2 February –

Tim Quy Timothy Graham Quy ( ; 14 August 19612 February 2023) was a British musician, best known as the percussionist for the rock band Cardiacs from 1981 to 1990. Initially the band's sound engineer, Quy first gigged as reserve bass player in 1980 and j ...

, English musician, (

Cardiacs Cardiacs are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (Cardiacs), Tim Smith (guitar and lead vocals) and his brother Jim Smith (bassist), Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. One ...

), 61 *

5 February Events Pre-1600 * *2 BC – Caesar Augustus is granted the title '' pater patriae'' by the Roman Senate. * 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy. * 756 – Chinese New Year; An Lushan proclaims himself Emperor of China and founds th ...

–

Phil Spalding Philip Trevor Spalding (19 November 1957 – 5 February 2023) was an English bass player. He was best known as a session musician and player of Fender Precision Bass guitars. He played and appeared with performing artists such as Mike Oldfiel ...

, English bassist, session musician, 65 *

8 February Events Pre-1600 * 421 – Constantius III becomes co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire. *1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. * 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al ...

– Hilary Tann, Wales-born composer resident in the USA, 75 *

19 February Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pag ...

– Christopher Nupen, classical music documentary filmmaker, 88 *

25 February Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. * 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. *1 ...

– Sir David Lumsden, English organist, harpischordist and choirmaster, 94 *

2 March Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his ''bucellarii'' are almost cut o ...

Steve Mackey Stephen Patrick Mackey (10 November 1966 – 2 March 2023) was an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the Britpop band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he produced songs and albums by ...

, English bassist, producer, (

Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...

), 56 ** Nicholas Snowman, arts administrator and co-founder of the

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber music, chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert ...

, 78 *

5 March Events Pre-1600 * 363 – Roman emperor Julian leaves Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death. * 1046 – Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Eastern ...

– Kenneth Montgomery, classical conductor, 79 *

13 March Events Pre-1600 * 222 – Roman emperor Elagabalus is murdered alongside his mother, Julia Soaemias. He is replaced by his 14-year old cousin, Severus Alexander. * 624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Mu ...

– Simon Emmerson, English record producer, guitarist, DJ, musical director, founder of (

Afro Celt Sound System Afro Celt Sound System are a European and African group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest ...

), 67 *

16 March Events Pre-1600 *1190 – Massacre of Jews at Clifford's Tower, York. *1244 – Over 200 Cathars who refuse to recant are burnt to death after the Fall of Montségur. *1355 – Amidst the Red Turban Rebellions, Han Lin'er, a cla ...

–

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (29 November 1934 – 16 March 2023) was an English jazz musician who played clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on cla ...

, English jazz musician, 88 *

– Christopher Gunning, English composer, 78 *

25 March Until 1752 it was the official date of the beginning of the year in England and its dominions (in the Julian calendar). Events Pre-1600 * 410 – The Southern Yan capital of Guanggu falls to the Jin dynasty general Liu Yu, ending the ...

– Nicholas Lloyd Webber, English composer, 43 *

– James Bowman, classical countertenor, 81 *

6 April Events Pre–1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus. * 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. *132 ...

– Paul Cattermole, English singer, (

), 46 *

7 April Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town. * 529 – First ''Corpus Juris Civilis'', a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Emper ...

–

Ian Bairnson John "Ian" Bairnson (3 August 1953 – 7 April 2023) was a Scottish musician and member of Pilot and the Alan Parsons Project. He was a multi-instrumentalist, who played saxophone and keyboards, but mainly performed as a guitarist, which he pl ...

, Scottish musician, multi-instrumentalist, (

Alan Parsons Project Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

), (

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

), guitarist for (

), 69 * 8 April –

Bob Heatlie Robert Raymond Heatlie (July 20, 1946 – April 8, 2023) was a Scottish songwriter and record producer who collaborated with many music acts, both bands and solo artists. He also produced multiple musical scores for television entertainment ser ...

, Scottish songwriter, record producer, 76 * 14 April – Mark Sheehan, Irish guitarist, singer-songwriter, (

The Script The Script are an Irish Soft rock, soft-rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin. The band currently consists of Danny O'Donoghue (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Glen Power (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Benjamin Seargent (bass, backin ...

), ( Mytown), 46 * 20 April – David Ellis, composer and music administrator, 90 *

21 April Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). *43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered s ...

– Mark Stewart, English musician (

The Pop Group The Pop Group are an English rock band formed in Bristol in 1977 by vocalist Mark Stewart, guitarist John Waddington, bassist Simon Underwood, guitarist/saxophonist Gareth Sager, and drummer Bruce Smith. Their work in the late 1970s crossed ...

), 62. *

–

Wee Willie Harris Charles William Harris (25 March 1933 – 27 April 2023), better known by his stage name of Wee Willie Harris, was an English rock and roll singer. He is best known for his energetic stage shows and TV performances starting in the 1950s, when ...

, English singer, musician, 90 *

–

Linda Lewis Linda Ann Fredericks (27 September 1950 – 3 May 2023), better known as Linda Lewis, was an English singer, songwriter and musician. She is best known for the singles "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" (1973) and her version of Betty Everett's "The Shoop Sh ...

, English singer-songwriter (" Rock-a-Doodle-Doo"), 72 *

–

Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (30 March 1930 – 10 May 2023) was an Australian musician, television personality, painter, and actor. He used a variety of instruments in his performances, notably the didgeridoo and the Stylophone, and is credited with the inventi ...

, Australian singer (" Jake the Peg", " Two Little Boys"), 93 *

11 May Events Pre-1600 * 330 – Constantine the Great dedicates the much-expanded and rebuilt city of Byzantium, changing its name to New Rome and declaring it the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. * 868 – A copy of the Diamond S ...

–

Francis Monkman Anthony Francis Keigwin Monkman (9 June 1949 – 12 May 2023) was an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of both the progressive rock band Curved Air and the classical/rock fusion band Sky. Life and career ...

, English musician, composer and songwriter (

Curved Air Curved Air are an English progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classical, folk and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band is a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fu ...

), (

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...

), (

Matching Mole Matching Mole were an English progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he left Soft Machine and recorded his first solo album, '' The End of an Ear'' (4 December 1970). He ...

), 73 *

17 May Events Pre-1600 *1395 – Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army. *1521 – Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason. *1527 – Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Fl ...

–

Algy Ward Alasdair Mackie "Algy" Ward (11 July 1959 – 17 May 2023) was an English punk rock and heavy metal bass guitarist and singer. He began his career in 1977, as a bassist for the Australian proto punk garage band the Saints. Afterwards, he jo ...

, English bassist, (

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

), ( The Damned), ( The Saints), 63 *

19 May Events Pre-1600 * 639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace. * 715 – Pope Gregory II is elected. * 934 – The Byzantine Empire reconquers Melitene under the leadership of J ...

–

Andy Rourke Andrew Michael Rourke (17 January 1964 – 19 May 2023) was an English musician best known as the bassist of the 1980s indie rock band the Smiths. Regarded as one of the greatest bassists of his generation, he was known for his melodic and funk- ...

, English bassist, (

The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...

), 59 *

22 May Events Pre-1600 * 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu. * 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt. *117 ...

–

Chas Newby Charles Newby (18 June 1941 – 22 May 2023) was a British musician who was briefly the bassist for the Beatles for several gigs in December 1960, while Stuart Sutcliffe was still in Hamburg focusing on his art career. Career When the Beatle ...

, English bassist, (

), 81 * 28 May – George Cassidy (jazz musician), George Cassidy, Northern Irish jazz musician and music teacher of Van Morrison, 86 * 6 June – Tony McPhee, English guitarist (The Groundhogs), 79 *

– Peter Dickinson (musician), Peter Dickinson, composer, musicologist, author, and pianist, 86 * 20 June – John Waddington (musician), John Waddington, English guitarist (

), (Maximum Joy), (Perfume (UK band), Perfume), 63 *

– Clarence Barlow, composer, 77 * 3 July – Mo Foster, English multi-instrumentalist (Affinity (band), Affinity), (Fancy (band), Fancy), (RMS (band), RMS) and record producer, 78 * 5 July – Anthony Gilbert (composer), Anthony Gilbert, composer and academic, 88 *

– Graham Clark (tenor), Graham Clark, English opera tenor, 81 * 16 July – Jane Birkin, English-French singer, actress, 76 * 17 July – Barry Martyn, English jazz drummer, 82 * 19 July – Mark Thomas (composer), Mark Thomas, British film composer (''Twin Town'', ''The Final Curtain (film), The Final Curtain'', ''Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London''), 67 * 21 July – Vince Hill, English traditional pop singer ("Edelweiss (song), Edelweiss", "Roses of Picardy", "Merci, Chérie"), 89 * 23 July – Raymond Froggatt, English singer-songwriter ("Callow-la-vita", "Big Ship (Cliff Richard song), Big Ship", "Rachel (song), Rachel"), 81 * 26 July – Sinéad O'Connor, singer, 56 *

– Jim Parker (composer), Jim Parker, British composer ("Captain Beaky and His Band", themes of ''Midsomer Murders'', ''House of Cards (British TV series), House of Cards'', ''Foyle's War''), 88 * 3 August – Carl Davis, American-born British conductor and composer, 86 * 13 August – Patricia Bredin, UK's first Eurovision Song Contest participant in Eurovision Song Contest 1957, 1957, 88 * 24 August – Bernie Marsden, English hard rock guitarist (UFO (band), UFO), (Whitesnake), 72 * 3 September – Simon Pearson, English drummer (The Wedding Present), (Cinerama (band), Cinerama), (Goya Dress), 53 *

– ** Joe Fagin, English singer-songwriter, 83 ** Bruce Guthro, Canadian-born vocalist (Runrig), 62 * 13 September – Roger Whittaker, English singer-songwriter, musician, 87 * 21 October – Carroll Coates, 94, British-American songwriter, composer and lyricist. * 23 October – Angelo Bruschini, 62, English guitarist (The Blue Aeroplanes, Massive Attack), lung cancer. * 3 November – Pete Garner, English bassist, (The Stone Roses), 61 * 5 November – Ryland Davies, classical tenor, 80 * 8 November – Keel Watson, classical bass-baritone, 69 * 16 November – Peter Solley, 75, English musician (Fox (band), Fox) and record producer. * 25 November – Les Maguire, 81, English musician (Gerry and the Pacemakers). * 26 November – **Brian Godding, 78, Welsh jazz rock guitarist (Blossom Toes, Centipede (band), Centipede). **Geordie Walker, English guitarist, (Killing Joke), 64. *

– Shane MacGowan, 65, English-born Irish singer (The Pogues, Shane MacGowan and the Popes) and songwriter ("Fairytale of New York"). * 4 December – John Hyatt, English vocalist (The Three Johns). * 5 December – Denny Laine, 79, English Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame musician (Paul McCartney and Wings, Wings, The Moody Blues) and songwriter ("Mull of Kintyre (song), Mull of Kintyre"). * 11 December – John "Rambo" Stevens, English music producer and manager. * 12 December – ** Richard Gaddes, opera administrator active in the United States, 81 ** Richard Kerr (songwriter), Richard Kerr, 78, English singer, songwriter ("Brandy (Scott English song), Mandy", "I'll Never Love This Way Again", "Looks Like We Made It") and composer. (death announced on this date) * 15 December – Steve Halliwell, 77, English actor (''Emmerdale'', ''Coronation Street'') and singer (The Woolpackers). * 17 December – Mike Maxfield, 79, English songwriter and guitarist (The Dakotas (band), The Dakotas). (death announced on this date) * 18 December – Ronnie Caryl, 70, English guitarist (Flaming Youth (band), Flaming Youth, Phil Collins). * 26 December – Tony Oxley, 85, English free improvising drummer, co-founder of Incus Records.

Notes

References

{{Authority control British music by year, 2023 2023 in British music,

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Bands reformed

Classical works

New operas

British music awards

Charts and sales

Number-one singles

Number-one albums

Number-one compilation albums

Year-end charts

Top singles of the year

Best-selling albums

Deaths

See also

Notes

References