This is a summary of1953 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

• 14 January –Ralph Vaughan Williams'sSinfonia antartica is given its first performance in Manchester.^[1]
• 3 February – ContraltoKathleen Ferrier, suffering from terminal cancer (unknown to the public), gives a critically acclaimed performance on the first night of a new English-language production ofGluck'sOrfeo ed Euridice at theRoyal Opera House, Covent Garden.^[2]
• 6 February – During the second performance ofOrfeo, Kathleen Ferrier's leftfemur gives way; she completes the performance before going to hospital for treatment.^[3] This will be her last public performance.
• 1 April – Firstrecord by any UK act to reachnumber one in theUK Singles Chart,The Stargazers' recording of "Broken Wings".^[4]
• 26 May – In the1953 Coronation Honours,Herbert Howells receives a CBE andBenjamin Britten is appointed aCompanion of Honour.^[5]
• 2 June
  • TheCoronation of Elizabeth II,William McKie, who had been in charge of music at theroyal wedding in 1947, is organist.^[6] In addition to traditionalmusic, such asHandel's "Zadok the Priest",Hubert Parry's "I was glad" andSamuel Sebastian Wesley's "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace", specially commissioned works performed at the ceremony includeRalph Vaughan Williams's "O Taste and See",William Walton's "Orb and Sceptre",Arthur Bliss's "Processional", Arnold Bax's "Coronation March", and the Canadian composerHealy Willan's anthem "O Lord our Governor".
  • On the evening of the coronation,Sadler's Wells Ballet stages the first performance ofMalcolm Arnold's official coronation balletHomage to the Queen, with choreography byFrederick Ashton andRobert Irving conducting.^[7]
• 9 June – Kathleen Ferrier writes to the secretary of theRoyal Philharmonic Society, thanking them for the award of the gold medal; it is thought to be the last letter she ever signed in person.^[8]
• 29 August –Michael Tippett'sFantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli is first performed in Edinburgh.^[1]
• October – SirArthur Bliss replaces SirArnold Bax asMaster of the Queen's Music.
• 19 September – SirHubert Parry's 1916 setting ofWilliam Blake's "Jerusalem" first appears as a permanent feature of theLast Night of the Proms (televised).^[9]
• 19 October – Opening of the Covent Garden opera season, with a production ofWagner'sDie Walküre.
• Allegri Quartet formed.

SeeList of UK top-ten singles in 1953

• Malcolm Arnold –Symphony No. 2
• Michael TippettVariations on an Elizabethan Theme

• Benjamin Britten –Gloriana

• Stanley Black –Escape by Night, starringSid James.
• Alan Rawsthorne –The Cruel Sea, starringJack Hawkins,Donald Sinden andDenholm Elliott.

• The Beggar's Opera, directed byPeter Brook and starringLaurence Olivier,Dorothy Tutin, andStanley Holloway.
• The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan, directed bySidney Gilliat and starringRobert Morley,Maurice Evans andOwen Brannigan

• 28 January –Chris Carter, English DJ and producer
• 22 February –Graham Lewis, bass player
• 3 March –Robyn Hitchcock, singer-songwriter
• 9 April –John Howard, singer-songwriter
• 15 May –Mike Oldfield, composer
• 8 June –Bonnie Tyler, singer
• 19 June –Simon Wright, English drummer (AC/DC,Dio, andUFO)
• 13 July –Malcolm Singer, composer and educationalist
• 22 July
  • Nigel Hess, composer
  • Brian Howe, singer-songwriter (Bad Company)
• 27 July –Eibhlis Farrell, composer
• 2 August –Donnie Munro, Scottish singer and guitarist (Runrig)
• 3 August –Ian Bairnson, multi-instrumentalist (Alan Parsons Project)
• 10 August –Gillian Elisa, actress, singer, and comedian
• 23 August –Bobby G, singer (Bucks Fizz)
• 10 October -Midge Ure, singer-songwriter and record producer
• 16 October –Brinsley Forde, singer (Aswad)
• 21 October –Eric Faulkner, guitarist, songwriter, and singer (Bay City Rollers)
• 12 November –Calum Macdonald, percussionist withRunrig

• 18 January –Arthur Wood, conductor and composer, 78
• 30 April –Lily Brayton, musical theatre star, 76^[10]
• 15 May –Mabel Love, dancer, 78^[10]
• 19 May –Frank Mullings, operatic tenor, 72^[11]
• 21 September –Roger Quilter, composer, 75^[12]
• 3 October – SirArnold Bax, composer, Master of the King's (and later Queen's) Musick, 69^[13]
• 8 October –Kathleen Ferrier, contralto, 41 (cancer)^[14]
• 26 November – SirIvor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83^[15]
• 11 December –Albert Coates, conductor and composer, 71^[16]
• date unknown –John Reynders, film score composer

• 1953 in British television
• 1953 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1953

General

• "Official Charts Company".Official Charts. (Type artist or song into search box and click "Search". To view a certain chart week, type the date into the box with the date and click "Go".)

• 1953 in British music
• 1953 in music
• 1953 in the United Kingdom
• British music by year

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