2015 in British music

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This is a summary of the year 2015 in British music.

Events

• 5 January – An official statement from Glyndebourne confirms that Danielle De Niese and her husband, Gus Christie, chairman of Glyndebourne Opera, are expecting their first child.^[1]
• 15 January – The nominations for the 2015 Brit Awards are announced, with Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and George Ezra dominating many of the categories.^[2]
• 22 January – It is announced that BBC Radio 1's annual Big Weekend event this year will be held at Earlham Park, Norwich.^[3]
• 8 February – Sam Smith is the big winner at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, winning Best New Artist, and Record and Song of the Year for "Stay with Me from the album In the Lonely Hour, which subsequently won Best Vocal Album.
• 25 February – Ed Sheeran and Paloma Faith win Best British Male and Female Solo Artist at this year's Brit Awards, with x winning Best Album and "Uptown Funk" winning Best Single. Notable moments of the night include Kanye West's controversial performance of "All Day" and Madonna falling off stage during her performance of "Living for Love".^[4]
• 1 March – Audio streaming became incorporated into the UK Albums Chart.
• 3 March – The London Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Sir Simon Rattle as its next music director, effective September 2017, with an initial contract of 5 years.^[5]
• 7 March – The BBC confirms that Electro Velvet's 1920s inspired song "Still in Love with You" has been chosen to represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
• 9 March – Sam Smith releases a special remake of his song "Lay Me Down", featuring John Legend, as this year's official Comic Relief single.
• 10 March – Sarah Brightman confirms she has been working on a song with Andrew Lloyd Webber that she can perform in space aboard the International Space Station in September.^[6] Brightman subsequently withdraws from the planned flight, citing family commitments.^[7]
• 11 March
  • The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Thomas Dausgaard as its 11th chief conductor, effective with the 2016–2017 season.^[8]
  • Simon Halsey is announced as the recipient of the Queen's Medal for Music 2014.^[9]
• 18 March – Julian Lloyd Webber is confirmed as the Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire.^[10]
• 20 May – Ye Yanchen's new work, Septet, to be premiered at St Illtud's Church, Llantwit Major, by soloists from China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra.^[11]
• 23 May – The United Kingdom is represented at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, by Electro Velvet, with the song "Still in Love with You".^[12] They finish 24th out of 27 entries, scoring five points.
• 12 June – Musicians recognised in the 2015 Birthday Honours include conductor Sir Neville Marriner (Companion of Honour) composers Karl Jenkins and James MacMillan who receive knighthoods, and singers Michael Ball (OBE) and Van Morrison (knighthood)^[13]
• 21 June – Nadine Koutcher wins the 2015 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.^[14]
• 2 October – "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith, the theme for the upcoming James Bond movie Spectre, becomes the first ever Bond theme to reach number 1 in the UK.^[15]
• 23 October - "Hello", the lead single from Adele's third studio album 25, is released to intense global media attention. The album (released 20 November) becomes the fastest selling in UK chart history, ending the year on 2.5 million.

Television series

• 10 January
  • Launch of the fourth series of The Voice UK.
  • Return of Stars in Their Eyes after nearly ten years off air.
• 14 February - Peter Sarsfield wins the first revival series of Harry Hill's Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating Frankie Valli.^[16]
• 16 January – Sound of Song, presented by Neil Brand^[17]
• 26 January – Launch of new music based entertainment show, South Side Story.
• 2 February – Global Radio, the owners of pop music channel Heart TV, are reprimanded by Ofcom after the channel played 72 seconds more than the permitted amount of advertising during one particular hour in October 2014. Global says the incident occurred when a commercial break was pushed to the end of an hour, creating too much advertising time for the following hour.^[18]
• 14 February – Stars in Their Eyes is cancelled again after critical reviews of its revamped format.
• 7 March – Reginald D. Hunter's Songs of the South begins on BBC Two.^[19]
• 26 May – The BBC announces that its music panel quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks is to end after 18 years and 28 series.^[20]
• 28 June – Pappano's Classical Voices begins on BBC Four.^[21]
• 29 August – Launch of the twelfth series of The X Factor.
• 19 December – Jay McGuinness of The Wanted and his dance partner Aliona Vilani win the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.^[22]
• 20 December - The Sound of Music Live is broadcast on ITV, starring Kara Tointon and Julian Ovenden.^[23]

Publications

• Karl Jenkins - Still With The Music^[24]

Charts

Artists and groups reformed

• Bay City Rollers
• Black Grape
• The Bluetones
• Busted
• Faithless
• The King Blues
• Lush
• Simply Red
• Supertramp
• We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It

Groups on hiatus

• The Saturdays

Groups disbanded

• Heart In Hand
• Flesh for Lulu
• Kingsland Road
• Klaxons
• Motörhead
• Neon Jungle
• Noah and the Whale
• Ph.D
• Rise to Remain
• Stereo Kicks

Classical works

• Julian Anderson – In lieblicher Bläue (Violin Concerto)^[25]
• Sally Beamish – "Be still" (Introit)^[26]
• Peter Fribbins - Violin Concerto^[27]

Opera

• 21 May - UK premiere of Gaetano Donizetti's Poliuto at Glyndebourne.^[28]

Musical theatre

• Bend It Like Beckham the Musical, with music by Howard Goodall, lyrics by Charles Hart, and book by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges
• School of Rock, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book by Julian Fellowes
• The Mirror Never Lies, music by Juan Iglesias, book and lyrics by Joe Giuffre, based on a novel by Barbara Pym^[29]

Musical films

• Kill Your Friends, starring Nicholas Hoult and Georgia King.^[30]
• London Road, starring Olivia Colman and Anita Dobson^[31]

Film scores and incidental music

Film

• Craig Armstrong - Far from the Madding Crowd
• Patrick Doyle - Cinderella
• George Fenton - Absolutely Anything
• Henry Jackman - Kingsman: The Secret Service

Television

• Anne Dudley - Poldark
• Debbie Wiseman - Wolf Hall^[32]

British music awards

• Brit Awards - see 2015 Brit Awards

Deaths

• 1 January – Matthew Cogley, musician and songwriter (Failsafe), 30^[33]
• 6 January – Lance Percival, actor and singer, 81^[34]
• 22 January – Joan Hinde, trumpet player, 81
• 27 January – Margot Moir, Scottish-born Australian singer (The Moir Sisters), 55^[35]
• 29 January – Danny McCulloch, 69, bassist (Eric Burdon & The Animals)
• 12 February – Steve Strange, singer (Visage), 55 (heart attack)^[36]
• 13 February – John McCabe, British composer and pianist, 75^[37]
• 16 February – Gavin Clark, British songwriter and singer with the bands Sunhouse, Clayhill and U.N.K.L.E, 46^[38]
• 22 February – Chris Rainbow, rock singer and musician (The Alan Parsons Project), 68^[39]
• 16 March – Andy Fraser, composer and bassist (Free), 62^[40]
• 21 March – Jackie Trent, singer-songwriter and actress, 74^[41]
• 23 March
  • Roy Douglas, composer, 107^[42]
  • Lil Chris, singer-songwriter, musician, 24
• 26 March – John Renbourn, guitarist and songwriter (Pentangle), 70
• 28 March
  • Josie Jones, singer (The Mighty Wah!)^[43] (death announced on this date)
  • Ronald Stevenson, composer and pianist, 87^[44]
• 1 April – Dave Ball, musician (Procol Harum), 65^[45]
• 3 April – Andrew Porter, organist, music critic, and opera director, 86^[46]
• 10 April – Ronald Hambleton, English-born Canadian broadcaster and music critic (Toronto Star), 97^[47]
• 13 April – Ronnie Carroll, Northern Irish singer, 80
• 17 April – Brian Couzens, music industry executive (Chandos Records), 86^[48]
• 6 May – Errol Brown, Jamaican-born British singer (Hot Chocolate), 71^[49]
• 15 May – Ross Dawson, English drummer (Late of the Pier) ^[50]
• 16 May – Flora MacNeil, Scottish Gaelic singer, 86^[51]
• 21 May – Twinkle, British singer-songwriter, 66 (cancer)^[52]
• 28 May – Johnny Keating, Scottish musician, songwriter and arranger, 87
• 4 June – Allan Fryer, Scottish-born Australian musician (Heaven), 60 (cancer)^[53]
• 5 June – Nick Marsh, singer and musician (Flesh for Lulu), 53 (cancer)^[54]
• 12 June – Ernest Tomlinson, composer, 90^[55]
• 27 June – Chris Squire, bassist (Yes), 67 (acute erythroid leukemia)^[56]
• 29 June – Bruce Rowland, drummer (Fairport Convention), 74
• 1 July
  • Val Doonican, Irish-born singer, 88
  • Edward Greenfield, music critic and broadcaster, 86^[57]
• 13 July – Eric Wrixon (Them, Thin Lizzy), 68^[58]
• 1 August - Cilla Black, singer and presenter, 72
• 12 August - John Scott, organist and choirmaster, 59^[59]
• 14 August - Jazz Summers, music manager (Scissor Sisters, The Verve, Snow Patrol), 71 (lung cancer)^[60]
• 8 October - Jim Diamond, Scottish singer, songwriter, 64
• 11 October - Carey Lander, keyboardist, singer (Camera Obscura), 33
• 13 October - Duncan Druce, English composer and musicologist, 76^[61]
• 28 October - Diane Charlemagne, singer (52nd Street, Urban Cookie Collective), 51 (cancer)
• 9 November - Andy White, Scottish musician, drummer, 85
• 11 November - Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, drummer (Motorhead), 61
• 28 November - Wayne Bickerton, songwriter, record producer, and music executive, 74^[62]
• 28 December
  • John Bradbury, drummer (The Specials), 62^[63]
  • Guru Josh, techno producer, musician, 53 (suicide)^[64]
  • Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, singer, songwriter, musician (Motorhead, Hawkwind), 70 (cancer)

References

1. Glyndebourne website: "Glyndebourne is delighted to announce that Mr and Mrs Gus Christie are expecting a baby in May". Accessed 6 January 2015
2. "BRIT Awards 2015 Nominations List: Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and George Ezra lead the way!". Capital FM (Global Limited). 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
3. "Radio 1's Big Weekend 2015 is coming to Norwich". BBC Newsbeat (BBC). 22 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
4. "Brit Awards 2015: Madonna falls off stage". BBC News (BBC). 26 February 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
5. Mark Brown (2015-03-03). "Simon Rattle appointed music director of London Symphony Orchestra". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
6. "Sarah Brightman to perform Lloyd Webber song in space". BBC News (BBC). 10 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
7. Singer Sarah Brightman calls off flight to space station 13 May 2015
8. "BBC SSO new Chief Conductor announced at launch of orchestra’s 2015/16 season" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
9. "Simon Halsey awarded the Queen's Medal for Music". Gramophone. 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
10. Classic FM "Julian Lloyd Webber is new principal of Birmingham Conservatoire", 18 March 2015
11. Vale of Glamorgan Festival. Accessed 6 January 2015
12. Roxburgh, Gordon (7 March 2015). "Electro Velvet to represent the United Kingdom". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
13. PRIME MINISTER’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST 2015. Accessed 28 June 2015
14. "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World winner is crowned". bbc.com. BBC News.
15. "Sam Smith's James Bond theme marks UK chart history". BBC. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
16. "Peter Sarsfield wins Stars in their Eyes Not Live Final as Frankie Valli". STV News (STV). 17 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
17. BBC Media Centre. Accessed 6 January 2015
18. "Heart TV in breach for too many adverts". Radio Today. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
19. "Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South, BBC Two, review: 'fascinating'", The Telegraph, 8 March 2015. Accessed 18 March 2015
20. "Never Mind The Buzzcocks to end after 18 years". BBC News (BBC). 26 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
21. BBC Four - Pappano's Classical Voices. Accessed 28 June 2015
22. "Strictly Come Dancing winner crowned". BBC News (BBC). 19 December 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
23. "Kara Tointon shocks fans with incredible vocals as she plays Maria in The Sound Of Music live". The Mirror. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
24. Boosey & Hawkes. Accessed 9 March 2016
25. Ivan Hewett (2015-03-15). "London Philharmonic Orchestra and Carolin Widmann, Royal Festival, Hall, review: 'divine'". Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
26. BBC Radio 3, Choral Evensong, 4 March 2015
27. What's on at Cadogan Hall. Accessed 10 January 2015
28. Glyndebourne - Events. Accessed 28 January 2015
29. RADA: The Mirror Never Lies - a new musical. Accessed 4 December 2015
30. Yamato, Jen (3 March 2014). "Jim Piddock Joins Britpop Comedy Adaptation ‘Kill Your Friends’". deadline.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
31. http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/09/london-road-serial-killer-film-musical-rufus-norris-interview
32. Debbie Wiseman official website. Accessed 28 January 2015
33. "Matthew Cogley dead: The Inbetweeners musician passes away on New Year's Day", Mirror, 3 January 2015
34. Percival
35. Margot Moir Of The Moir Sisters Dead At 55
36. New Romantic pioneer Strange dies
37. Composer and pianist John McCabe dies aged 75
39. Chris Rainbow, Singer With Alan Parsons Project and Camel, Dies
40. Andy Fraser Dies
41. Singer-songwriter Jackie Trent dies, aged 74
42. Roy Douglas, composer - obituary
43. Liverpool musician Pete Wylie heartbroken after death of The Mighty Wah! performer Josie Jones
44. Music mourns a Great Scot
45. Dave Ball passed away
46. Multifaceted Music Critic Andrew Porter Dies At 86
47. Veteran writer Ronald Hambleton dies at 97
48. Brian Couzens Businessman who founded the Chandos record label and led the way for independents in the classical music market
49. Errol Brown dead: Friends of the Hot Chocolate singer say 'he was a gentleman'
50. Late of the Pier drummer Ross Dawson dies following 'tragic accident'
51. Flora MacNeil, the "Queen of Gaelic singers", dies at the age of 86
52. Lynn 'Twinkle' Ripley - Sixties Singer Twinkle Dies
53. Heaven Vocalist Allan Fryer Dies After Cancer Battle
54. The Urban Voodoo Machine's Nick Marsh dies at 53
55. Ernest Tomlinson (1924-2015) has died at 90
56. Yes Bassist Chris Squire Has Died
57. Edward Greenfield obituary
59. John Scott (1956-2015)
60. Former Scissor Sisters, The Verve and Lisa Stansfield manager Jazz Summers dies, aged 71
61. Death of a productive British composer
62. Wayne Bickerton RIP
63. Specials drummer John Bradbury dies
64. Rave legend Guru Josh 'committed suicide after battling depression and addictions to cocaine and alcohol'