Chronology 1915-1944

 

Composition dates are in white, whilst dates of performance and publication are in yellow
Events in Brian's life are shown in pink, and other events relating to Brian in blue
Other musical events in green
Songs are not usually individually identified, see Songs by date for titles and details

1876-1914 . 1915-1944 . 1945-1972 . 1973- 

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1915 39 Composes English suite 2 - now lost
1915 39 Composes two partsongs
1915 39 Composes Legend for orchestra - now lost
1915 39 Composes work for orchestra - now lost
4 May 1915 39 Discharged from Army because of flat feet
25 May 1915-13 December 1915 39 Clerk at Audit Offices of Canadian Forces Contigent at Westminister House, Millbank, London
June 1915 39 Beecham conducts Festal Dance at the Proms
1916 40 Composes Razamoff, symphonic drama for orchestra, but does not finish it - now lost
1916 40 Composes Three illuminations for piano
1916 40 Composes Three comedy dances for orchestra - possibly arrangement of Three illuminations (1916) - now lost
? October 1916 40 Begins work on The grotesques [subsequently retitled The tigers]
1918 42 Composes songs.    And two scenas for baritone and piano or orch - now lost
1918-19 42 - 43 Composes three songs
1918-20 42 - 44 Composes Four miniatures for piano
26 January 1919 42 Composes song, The birds (Blake)
1919 43 Completes draft sketch of The tigers
1919 43 Composes Tales of olden times, 3 pieces for small orchestra - now lost
1919 43 Composes many songs and partsongs, some now lost
4 June 1919 43 Bantock performs Festal dance, Birmingham
?1919 43 Composes Legend for violin and piano
?1919 43 Starts work on The Gothic
1919 43 Starts English suite . A piano version of mvts 1-3 will be made, but is now lost
28 June 1920 44 Wood conducts Festal Dance at the Proms
?early 1920s Sketches A Buster Keaton overture for orchestra.  Doesn't complete this and recycles material in other, unspecified, works
1921 45 Fanfare from »The grotesques« published in Musical Opinion 1(5)p91
1921 45 Commences orchestration of six orchestral pieces from The tigers
1921 45 Composes partsong Full fathom five
2 March 1921 45 Robert Simpson born
28 April 1921 45 First performance of Fantastic variations at Bournemouth;  work repeated
29 April 1921 45 Brian conducts Fantastic variations at Bournemouth
30 April 1921 45 Brian conducts Fantastic variations at Bournemouth
1 May 1921 45 Brian conducts Fantastic variations at Bournemouth
2 May 1921 45 Brian conducts Fantastic variations at Bournemouth
5 May 1921 45 Completes English suite 3
26 December 1921 45 Premiere of In memoriam, Edinburgh, Scottish Orchestra/Sir Landon Ronald
27 December 1921 45 Performance of In memoriam, Glasgow, Scottish Orchestra/Sir Landon Ronald
1922 46 Completes orchestration of six orchestral pieces from The tigers
1922 46 Composes songs, most now lost
16 March 1922 46 Premiere of English suite 3 performed at Bournemouth
25 January 1923 47 Fantastic variations performed at Bournemouth
2 April 1923 47 Fantastic variations performed at Bournemouth
1924 48 Charlers Villiers Stanford dies
1924 48 Composes Introit amen [sic] for chorus
1924 48 Composes four Choral canons
1924 48 Composes Double fugue in Eb for piano, Moulsecomb, Sussex
1924 48 Composes Prelude and fugue in C minor for piano, Moulsecomb, Sussex
1924 48 Composes Prelude and fugue in D minor/major for piano
?1924 48 Composes English suite 4 »Kindergarten« - now lost
28 February 1924 48 Symphonic variations from The tigers premiered at Bournemouth
4 May 1924 48 Symphonic variations from The tigers performed at Bournemouth
1925 49 Arranges vocal score of Vaughan Williams' Sancta civitas
1925 49 Teaches at Royal College of Music
1925 49 Composes songs and partsongs
1925 49 Composes songs
1926 50 Commences vocal score of The tigers, Brighton
1926 50 Makes a piano transcription of unidentified work by Elgar, now lost
1927 51 Completes The Gothic
1927 51 Completes vocal score of The tigers, Brighton
2 December 1927 51 Gargoyles from The tigers given as a BBC New Music Rehearsal
June 1927 -1939 51 - 63 Assistant Editor, Musical Opinion
1928 52 Begins orchestration of remainder of The tigers
22 August 1928 52 Karlheinz Stockhausen born
3 December 1928 52 Birth of daughter - Elfreda Brian - by Hilda  Mary Hayward
1929 53 Completes orchestration of The tigers
1930s Arranges Te Deum of Basil Maine for chorus and orchestra - now lost
June 1930 54 Starts sketches for  Symphony 2 in E minor for large orchestra
1 September 1930 54 Completes draft for  Symphony 2
26 October 1930 54 Completes revison and fair copy of Symphony 2
2 November 1930 54 Starts  full score of Symphony 2
winter 1930-31 54 - 55 Composes Battle song for brass band - only short score survives
6 April 1931 55 Completes full score of Symphony 2
12 April 1931 55 Starts sketching Symphony 3 in C sharp minor for 2 pianos and large orchestra
23 May 1931 55 Completes draft of first movement, Symphony 3
21 June 1931 55 Starts drafting second movement, Symphony 3
1 July 1931 55 Completes draft of second movement, Symphony 3
12 July 1931 55 Starts drafting fourth movement, Symphony 3
16 July 1931 55 Completes draft of fourth movement, Symphony 3
18 July 1931 55 Starts drafting third movement, Symphony 3
19 July 1931 55 Completes draft of third movement, Symphony 3
1932 56 The tigers vocal score published - full score lost and will not be rediscovered until 1977
1932 56 Cranz publishes full score of The Gothic
Sat 28 May 1932 56 Finishes Symphony 3 in full score
20 June 1932 56 Starts sketching Symphony 4 in C major for soprano, 2 choruses, v large orchestra
4 December 1932 56 Finishes draft of Symphony 4
15 April 1933 57 Isabel dies of a heart condition
9 June 1933 57 Marries Hilda at Camberwell Register Office
? 1933 57 Composes Prelude for soprano and double chorus - now lost
December 1933 57 Two broadcasts of Dr Merryheart from Hamburg
10 December 1933 57 Completes Symphony 4 in full score (40 staves!)
17 January 1934 57 Dr Merryheart is performed in Bournemouth and broadcast live by the BBC
23 February 1934 58 Edward Elgar dies at his home in Worcester
1 March 1934 58 Gargoyles and Wild horsemen from The tigers broadcast live by the BBC
15 March 1934 58 Fantastic variations performed in Edinburgh by Sir Donald Tovey
1934 58 Starts Violin concerto 1
1934 58 Gustav Theodore [von] Holst dies
1934 58 Composes Prelude »John Dowland's fancy«, the first of a projected John Dowland suite;   however never writes down the remaining three movements
1934 58 Peter Maxwell Davies born
6 June 1934 58 Festal dance given by Bantock in Birmingham
8 June 1934 58 Loses - or is robbed of - the short score of Violin concerto (1934)  on the Brighton train at Victoria Station
September 1934 58 Undergoes minor eye operation at Royal Eye Hospital, St George's Circus SE London
17 October 1934 58 Festal dance given by Bantock in Birmingham
? 1935 59 Composes a work for organ, now lost
8 June 1935 59 Completes Violin Concerto 2 in C major based on some of the themes of the lost first violin concerto
30 September 1935 59 Festal dance given by Sir Henry Wood at the Proms
16 October 1936 60 Dr Merryheart broadcast live twice by the BBC
1937 61 Arranges two songs from Handel's Venus and Adonis (Dear Adonis, Transporting joy) for voice and piano
early 1937 61 Starts a Solo cantata based on »Wine of summer« by Lord Alfred Douglas
8 April 1937 61 Draft vocal score of Solo cantata completed
8 May 1937 61 Dr Merryheart broadcast live by the BBC
April 1937 61 Brian visits Douglas in Brighton and plays through Solo cantata
18 June 1937 61 Completes Solo cantata renaming it Symphony for solo voice [baritone] and orchestra - ie Symphony 5 »Wine of summer«
31 August 1937 61 English suite 3 broadcast live by the BBC
10 November 1937 61 Begins vocal score of Act I of Prometheus unbound
1939-1948 63 - 72 Clerk at Chislehurst, Kent
22 March 1939 63 Completes vocal score of Act I of Prometheus unbound
27 March 1939 63 Dr Merryheart broadcast live by the BBC
31 March 1939 63 Begins vocal score of Act II of Prometheus unbound
26 August 1939 63 Suspends composition of Prometheus unbound
?1940 64 Performance of Dr Merryheart by CBS SO?Bernard Herrmann
27 November 1941 65 Resumes composition of Prometheus unbound
24 June 1942 66 Completes vocal score of Act II of Prometheus unbound
13 February 1944 68 BBC broadcasts Gargoyles and Wild horsemen from The tigers
19 August 1944 68 Sir Henry Wood dies, aged 75
September 1944 68 Completes full score of Prometheus unbound

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Credits   for this chronology

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