2014 in British music

This is a summary of the year 2014 in British music.

Events

6 January – Sir Thomas Allen is revealed as the winner of the 2013 Queen's Medal for Music.^[1]
9 January – The list of nominees for the 2014 Brit Awards is published.^[2] Nominees for Best British Group are Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, Disclosure, One Direction and Rudimental.
19 February – Brit Awards ceremony takes place at the O2 Arena, London.^[3]
22 March – Kate Bush announces a tour – her first live tour dates since the only tour of her career in 1979.^[4]
1 April – A 90th birthday concert for Sir Neville Marriner is held by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields at the Royal Festival Hall, with soloists Joshua Bell and Murray Perahia.^[5]
21 April – Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending" returns to the top spot in the Classic FM Hall of Fame.^[6]
28 April – Julian Lloyd Webber announces his retirement from playing cello and performance owing to a herniated disc in his neck which has reduced the power of his bowing arm.^[7]
30 April – Michael Nyman's 70th birthday is celebrated with a concert at London's Southbank Centre.^[8]
10 May – A judge rules that a music industry investment scheme.^[9] in which Gary Barlow and other members of Take That invested heavily was set up for the purpose of avoiding tax. HMRC indicate that they will be pursuing Barlow and others for repayment of the taxes they had sought to avoid paying.^[10] Those involved included the band's manager Jonathan Wild.
13–16 June – Download Festival 2014 takes place at Donington Park in Leicestershire. The Stephen Sutton main stage is headlined by Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park and Aerosmith, the Zippo encore stage by The Offspring, Status Quo and Trivium, the Pepsi Max stage by Opeth, Behemoth and The Dillinger Escape Plan, the Red Bull Studios Live stage by Dan Reed Network, SikTh and Zebrahead, and the Jägermeister acoustic stage by Jamie Lenman, Ginger Wildheart and Nick Oliveri.
3 July – Arcade Fire's headlining set at British Summer Time—"the concert of the summer"—takes place in Hyde Park, London.^[11]
6 July – Audio streaming becomes incorporated into the UK Singles Chart
24 September – Jason Orange announces his decision to leave Take That.^[12]^[13]
27 September – Katherine Jenkins marries Andrew Levitas at Hampton Court Palace.^[14]
12 December – The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats, returns to the West End after an absence of 12 years.^[15]
14 December – Ben Haenow wins the eleventh series of The X Factor. Fleur East is named runner-up, while Andrea Faustini and Lauren Platt finish in third and fourth place respectively.
December – A copy of "Open the Door to Your Heart" by Darrell Banks on London Records issued in 1967, sells for over £14,500. This is the highest sum ever paid for a UK-released single.^[16]

Television series

April – BBC Four screens Rule Britannia! Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th Century, presented by Suzy Klein.^[17]
30 August – The eleventh series of The X Factor begins on ITV.
16 November – Dancing Cheek to Cheek, a history of dance presented by Len Goodman and Lucy Worsley, begins on BBC4.^[18]

Films

God Help the Girl, written and directed by Stuart Murdoch.^[19] and starring Olly Alexander

Charts

Artists/Groups reformed

Groups disbanded

Classical works

Robin Holloway – Europa and the Bull, Opus 121, for Tuba and Orchestra^[21]
Karl Jenkins – The Healer – A Cantata for St Luke^[22]

Opera

John Metcalf – Under Milk Wood: An Opera

Musical theatre

Made in Dagenham, with music by David Arnold, lyrics by Richard Thomas, and a book by Richard Bean^[23]
Sunny Afternoon, with music and lyrics by Ray Davies and book by Joe Penhall^[24]

Film scores and incidental music

Film

Rupert Gregson-Williams – Postman Pat: The Movie
David Holmes – '71
Henry Jackman – Kingsman: The Secret Service
Edward Shearmur – Before I Go to Sleep
Gary Yershon – Mr. Turner

Television

Martin Phipps – The Honourable Woman^[25]

British music awards

BRIT Awards

The 2014 BRIT Awards were held on 19 February 2014 at The O2 Arena, London and hosted by James Corden.^[26]^[27]

Best Producer: Flood and Alan Moulder
British Breakthrough Act: Bastille
British Female Solo Artist: Ellie Goulding
British Group: Arctic Monkeys
British Male Solo Artist: David Bowie
British Single: "Waiting All Night" – Rudimental featuring Ella Eyre
British Video: "Best Song Ever" – One Direction
Critics' Choice Award: Sam Smith
International Female Solo Artist: Lorde
International Group: Daft Punk
International Male Solo Artist: Bruno Mars
MasterCard British Album of the Year: AM – Arctic Monkeys

Ivor Novello Awards

The 59th Ivor Novello Awards were held on 22 May 2014 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.^[28]^[29]

PRS for Music Most Performed Work: "Let Her Go" – Passenger (written by Mike Rosenberg)
The Ivors Classical Music Award: John McCabe
Best Television Soundtrack: Ripper Street (composed by Dominik Scherrer)
Best Contemporary Song: "Retrograde" – James Blake (written by James Blake)
International Achievement: Mumford & Sons
Best Original Film Score: The Epic of Everest (composed by Simon Fisher Turner)
The Ivors Inspiration Award: Jerry Dammers
Album Award: Push the Sky Away – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Jeff Beck
Best Song Musically and Lyrically: "Strong" – London Grammar (written by Dominic Major, Hannah Reid and Daniel Rothman)
Songwriter of the Year: Tom Odell
Outstanding Song Collection: The Chemical Brothers
Lifetime Achievement: Christine McVie
PRS for Music Special International Award: Nile Rodgers

Mercury Prize

The 2014 Barclaycard Mercury Prize was awarded on 29 October 2014 to Young Fathers for their album Dead.^[30]

Popjustice £20 Music Prize

The 2014 Popjustice £20 Music Prize was awarded on 29 October 2014 to Little Mix for their song "Move".

Deaths

13 January – Ronny Jordan, British guitarist, 51^[31]
5 February – Samantha Juste, English-American singer and television host, 69^[32]
17 February – Frank Wappat, DJ and singer, 84^[33]
25 February – Peter Callander, English songwriter and record producer, 74^[34]
5 March – Dave Sampson, English singer, 73^[35]
6 March – Marion Stein (Thorpe), British pianist, 87^[36]
2 April – Lyndsie Holland, English actress and singer, 75
7 April – John Shirley-Quirk, operatic bass-baritone, 83^[37]
16 April – Stan Kelly-Bootle, songwriter, author and computer engineer, 84^[38]
18 April – Brian Priestman, conductor (Denver Symphony Orchestra), 87^[39]
23 April – Patric Standford, composer, 75^[40]
6 May – Antony Hopkins, composer, conductor and pianist, 93^[41]
7 May – Sir George Christie, manager of Glyndebourne Opera, 79^[42]
14 May
- Douglas Cummings, cellist (London Symphony Orchestra), 67.^[43]
- Jeffrey Kruger, music business executive, 83^[44]
27 May – Malcolm MacDonald, music critic, 66^[45]
20 June – David Brown, musicologist and Tchaikovsky specialist, 84^[46]
9 July
- John Spinks, guitarist and songwriter (The Outfield), 60
- Ken Thorne, English-American composer, 90
21 August – Jean Redpath, folk singer-songwriter, 77^[47]
28 August – Glenn Cornick, bassist (Jethro Tull), 67^[48]
1 October – Lynsey de Paul, singer-songwriter, 64 (brain haemorrhage)^[49]
2 October
- Rob Skipper, guitarist (The Holloways), 28^[50]
- The Spaceape, hyperdub artist (cancer)^[51]
6 October – Andrew Kerr, co-founder of the Glastonbury Festival, 80^[52]
8 October – Mark Bell, house music producer (LFO), 43 (complications from surgery)^[53]
19 October – Raphael Ravenscroft, saxophonist, 60 (heart attack)^[54]
23 October – Alvin Stardust, singer, 72^[55]
25 October – Jack Bruce, bassist (Cream), 71^[56]
31 October – Ian Fraser, composer and conductor, 81^[57]
2 November – Acker Bilk, clarinettist and vocalist, 85
6 November – Maggie Boyle, folk singer and musician, 57 (cancer)^[58]
8 November – Ivey Dickson, second musical director of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain^[59]
14 November – Mike Burney, jazz saxophonist, 70^[60]
15 November – Cherry Wainer, South African-born organist (Lord Rockingham's XI), 79^[61]
17 November – Jeff Fletcher, guitarist (Northern Uproar), 36^[62]
20 November – Arthur Butterworth, English composer and conductor, 91^[63]
23 November – Clive Palmer, banjo player, 71^[64]
2 December – Nick Talbot, singer-songwriter (Gravenhurst), 37^[65]
3 December – Ian McLagan, keyboardist (Small Faces), 69 (stroke)^[66]
22 December – Joe Cocker, singer, 70^[67]
23 December – Jeremy Lloyd, comedy writer and songwriter (Captain Beaky and His Band), 84 (pneumonia)^[68]

References

^ [BBC News – "Sir Thomas Allen to receive Queen's Medal for Music", 7 January 2014]. Accessed 12 January 2014
^ "Brit Awards nominations 2014: full list", The Telegraph, 9 January 2014. Accessed 12 January 2014
^ Brit Awards 2014 – Official website. Accessed 12 January 2014
^ Guardian music. "Kate Bush announces first live shows since 1979". The Guardian.
^ Academy of St Martin in the Fields – Sir Neville Marriner's Birthday Celebration Concert. Accessed 10 September 2014
^ "Classic FM Hall of Fame 2014". Classic FM. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
^ Mark Brown (18 October 2014). "Julian Lloyd Webber 'devastated' over end of cello career". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ Southbank Centre: Michael Nyman 70th Birthday Concert (archived). Accessed 9 June 2014
^ Hope, Christopher (21 June 2012). "Gary Barlow's OBE is no problem despite tax avoidance claims, says Downing Street". The Telegraph. UK.
^ "Take That stars could face tax bill of millions after court decision". BBC News. UK. 10 May 2013.
^ Swindells, Chris (4 July 2014). Young, Ted (ed.). "10 reasons why Arcade Fire at British Summer Time could be the concert of the summer". Metro. London: DMG. ISSN 1469-6215. OCLC 225917520. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^ "Take That's Jason Orange quits; bandmates say it's a huge loss". BBC Newsbeat. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ Johnston, Chris (25 September 2014). "Jason Orange leaves Take That". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "BBC News – Katherine Jenkins' wedding blessed by Neath vicar Stephen Ryan". BBC News.
^ "Cats review – glamourpuss Nicole Scherzinger hits high notes in carnival revival", The Guardian, 12 December 2014. Accessed 6 January 2015
^ "Darrell Banks' | Rare Darrell Banks Vinyl Sells For $23,000". Contactmusic.com. 22 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
^ BBC Four – Rule Britannia!. Accessed 22 April 2014
^ "Dancing Cheek to Cheek, BBC Four, review: 'ebullient'", The Telegraph, 20 November 2014. Accessed 20 November 2014
^ "Sundance 2014: Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch on his musical ode to Glasgow, 'God Help The Girl'". Retrieved 14 April 2014.
^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (21 October 2014). "Cycle complete: Orbital announce split after 25 years". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Robin Holloway - Europa & the Bull". www.boosey.com.
^ Official website: Upcoming performances. Accessed 9 June 2014
^ ""Made in Dagenham" Film Being Adapted as West End Musical; Rupert Goold Will Direct". Playbill. 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
^ "London's Hampstead Theatre to Offer World Premiere of Sunny Afternoon, Early Life Story of Singer-Songwriter Ray Davies". playbill.com. Playbill. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
^ "Martin Phipps Scoring 'The Honourable Woman' and 'X Plus Y'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
^ "Brits 2014: Winners in full". BBC News. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ "Brit Awards 2014: the winners in full". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ Pakinkis, Mike (22 May 2014). "Ivor Novello Awards 2014: All the winners". Music Week. London, England: Intent Media. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (22 May 2014). "James Blake and London Grammar honoured at Ivor Novello awards". The Guardian. London, England.
^ Savage, Mark (29 October 2014). "Mercury Prize 2014: Young Fathers win". Retrieved 3 January 2015.
^ Fordham, John (22 January 2014). "Ronny Jordan obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ "Samantha Juste – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
^ "Veteran BBC radio broadcaster Frank Wappat dies". BBC News. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
^ "Peter Callander | M Magazine : PRS for Music Online Magazine". M-magazine.co.uk. 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ Wilkinson, Lee (8 March 2014). "Dave Sampson". The Stage. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ John Amis (7 March 2014). "Marion Thorpe obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ Barry Millington (9 April 2014). "John Shirley-Quirk obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ liverpoolecho Administrator. "Liverpool singer-songwriter Stan Kelly has died". liverpoolecho.
^ "Brian Priestman, 87, former Denver Symphony conductor". denverpost.com. 18 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017.
^ Stanley Sadie, ed. (1980). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (Vol 18 Spiridion to Tin Whistle ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers Limited. p. 68. ISBN 0-333-23111-2.
^ "Antony Hopkins – obituary". Telegraph.co.uk. 6 May 2014.
^ Martin Kettle (8 May 2014). "Sir George Christie obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ "Douglas Cummings". The Times. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ "Jeff Kruger: Businessman who opened the Flamingo Club, which was at the epicentre of the British jazz and r'n'b scene". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
^ Raymond Head (17 June 2014). "Malcolm MacDonald obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
^ Millington, Barry (23 July 2014). "David Brown obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
^ "Scottish folk singer Jean Redpath dies". BBC News.
^ AP (29 August 2014). "Former Jethro Tull bass player Glenn Cornick dies".
^ "Singer Lynsey De Paul dies aged 64". BBC News.
^ Dean Van Nguyen (3 October 2014). "The Holloways' Rob Skipper has died". NME.COM.
^ Guardian music. "Jerry Dammers pays tribute to late Hyperdub MC the Spaceape". The Guardian.
^ "Andrew Kerr, organiser of the 1971 Glastonbury Fair dies at 80". Central Somerset Gazette. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.
^ "Mark Bell of LFO has passed away". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
^ "Baker Street saxophone player Raphael Ravenscroft dies". BBC News. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Singer Alvin Stardust dies aged 72". BBC News.
^ David, Renshaw (25 October 2014). "Former Cream musician Jack Bruce dies, aged 71". NME. David Renshaw. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
^ Los Angeles Times (31 October 2014). "Ian Fraser, famed composer who worked alongside Julie Andrews, dead at 81". Los Angeles Times.
^ Schofield, Derek (10 November 2014). "Maggie Boyle obituary" – via The Guardian.
^ Derek Bourgeois. 'Ivey Dickson obituary', in The Guardian, 18 November, 2014
^ "Mike Burney 1944–2014 R.I.P." thejazzbreakfast. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
^ "Cherry Wainer - obituary". www.telegraph.co.uk.
^ "Jeff Fletcher: Family pays tribute to Northern Uproar guitarist killed in Stockport horror crash". Manchester Evening News. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
^ "Death of Arthur Butterworth". 4barsrest. 20 November 2014.
^ "Clive Palmer - obituary". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^ Baines, Huw. "Gravenhurst's Nick Talbot Dies Aged 37 – Stereoboard".
^ Gallucci, Michael. "Ian McLagan Dies at Age 69". Ultimate Classic Rock.
^ "Joe Cocker dies after lung cancer battle – NME". 22 December 2014.
^ "Comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd dies at age 84". The Guardian. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2022.