1948 in British music

This is a summary of 1948 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

 * 10 January – The Amadeus Quartet (formed as the Brainin Quartet in 1947) gives its first recital under this name, at the Wigmore Hall in London, underwritten by Imogen Holst.
 * 16 January – The day after her New York concert debut, Kathleen Ferrier writes to her sister: "Some of the critics are enthusiastic, others unimpressed".
 * 17 April – The death of Alice, Viscountess Wimborne, lover of William Walton, ends their 14-year affair.
 * 21 April
 * Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 is premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at the Royal Albert Hall in London and broadcast on the BBC Home Service.
 * The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain gives its first concert.
 * 5 June – Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears.
 * 13 October – Kathleen Ferrier joins Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra in a broadcast performance of Mahler's song cycle Kindertotenlieder.
 * October – The Duke of Edinburgh is introduced to musical comedy star Pat Kirkwood in her dressing room after a show. They are seen together at a restaurant, creating a scandal in the newspapers.
 * 13 October – William Walton marries Susana Gil Passo.
 * date unknown
 * Steuart Wilson becomes head of music at the BBC; the appointment will result in the forced retirement of Sir Adrian Boult as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
 * Harman Grisewood replaces George Barnes as controller of the BBC Third Programme.
 * The National School of Opera is founded by Joan Cross.

Popular music

 * Anne Shelton – "If You Ever Fall in Love Again" (Dick Farrelly)
 * Dorothy Squires – "A Tree in the Meadow" (Billy Reid)

Classical music: new works

 * Malcolm Arnold – The Smoke (Overture), Op. 21
 * Arnold Bax – Magnificat
 * Benjamin Britten – Saint Nicolas, for tenor soloist, children's chorus, chorus, and orchestra
 * Michael Tippett – Suite in D for the Birthday of Prince Charles
 * Ralph Vaughan Williams – Partita for Double String Orchestra

Opera

 * Arthur Bliss – The Olympians
 * Norman Demuth – Le Flambeau

Film and Incidental music

 * William Alwyn – The Fallen Idol directed by Carol Reed, starring Ralph Richardson.
 * Arnold Bax – Oliver Twist directed by David Lean, starring Alec Guinness.
 * Brian Easdale – The Red Shoes directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
 * Constant Lambert – Anna Karenina, starring Vivien Leigh and Ralph Richardson.
 * Elisabeth Lutyens – Penny and the Pownall Case (the first feature film to be scored by a female British composer).
 * Ralph Vaughan Williams – Scott of the Antarctic, starring John Mills.
 * William Walton – Hamlet, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier.
 * John Wooldridge – The Guinea Pig, starring Richard Attenborough.

Musical theatre

 * 10 March – Carissima, starring Ginger Rogers and David Hughes, opens at the Palace Theatre and runs for 488 performances.
 * 22 December – High Button Shoes (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) opens at the Hippodrome and runs for 291 performances.

Musical films

 * A Date with a Dream, starring Terry-Thomas, Jeannie Carson and Wally Patch.
 * Bless 'Em All, starring Max Bygraves.
 * One Night with You, directed by Terence Young and starring Nino Martini, Patricia Roc and Bonar Colleano.

Births

 * 17 January – Mick Taylor, guitarist
 * 19 January – Amanda Holden, English playwright, lyricist and composer (died 2021)
 * 3 February – Gavin Henderson, English trumpet player and conductor
 * 28 February – Geoff Nicholls, keyboardist (Black Sabbath) (died 2017)
 * 4 March – Chris Squire, guitarist and singer-songwriter (died 2015)
 * 11 March – Jan Schelhaas, keyboard player
 * 22 March – Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer
 * 16 April – Robert Kirby, arranger (died 2009)
 * 28 April – Scott Fitzgerald (William McPhail), singer
 * 12 May – Steve Winwood, R&B singer
 * 15 May – Brian Eno, synthesizer virtuoso and composer
 * 21 May – Leo Sayer, singer-songwriter
 * 29 May – Michael Berkeley, composer
 * 6 June – Richard Sinclair, bass player (Caravan, The Wilde Flowers, Camel and Hatfield and the North)
 * 1 July – John Ford, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Strawbs, The Monks and Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera)
 * 4 July – Jeremy Spencer, English guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
 * 5 July – Alan Hazeldine, pianist and conductor (died 2008)
 * 21 July – Cat Stevens (Steven Demetre Georgiou), singer-songwriter
 * 2 August – Andy Fairweather Low, guitarist, songwriter, producer and vocalist
 * 26 September – Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress (died 2022)
 * 3 October – Ian MacDonald (Ian MacCormick), music critic (died 2003)
 * 11 October – David Rendall, operatic tenor
 * 24 October
 * Dale Griffin, rock drummer and producer (died 2016)
 * Barry Ryan, singer-songwriter (died 2021)
 * Paul Ryan, singer-songwriter and producer (died 1992)
 * 22 November – Mick Rock, rock photographer (died 2021)
 * 3 November – Lulu (Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie), singer and actress
 * 1 December – Colin Sell, pianist
 * 3 December – Ozzy Osbourne, singer-songwriter
 * 20 December – Alan Parsons, engineer and record producer

Deaths

 * 9 January – Violet Gordon-Woodhouse, harpsichordist and clavichordist, 75
 * 21 February – Frederic Lamond, pianist, 80
 * 17 May – David Evans, composer, 74
 * 14 June – John Blackwood McEwen, composer, 80
 * 8 July – Reginald Somerville, composer and actor, 81
 * 20 August – David John de Lloyd, composer, 65
 * 12 September – Rupert D'Oyly Carte, impresario, 70
 * 20 November – Robert Carr, baritone, 67
 * 24 November – Nellie Wallace, music hall star, actress, comedian, dancer and songwriter, 78
 * 14 December – R. O. Morris, British composer and teacher, 62
 * 31 December – Ethel Barns, violinist, pianist and composer, 74