LGBT History Month – Music and Musicians

The lives of four major musical figures will be celebrated during LGBT History Month in February. The theme this year will be music and musicians.

Through performances and educational events in schools, colleges and arts venues across the UK, the often remarkable lives and works of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) musicians in challenging prejudice, breaking down stereotypes and producing fabulous music will be celebrated.

The quartet of musicians chosen all have very interesting stories.

Benjamin Britten is regarded as one of the central figures of 20th century British classical music. It was the 100th anniversary of his birth in November 2013, but the main reason for the choice was that kids would normally think about him in the context of his music not his sexual orientation.

Angela Morley, the Emmy award-winning film and TV composer who wrote the theme to Dallas, had perhaps the most remarkable life of the four. She was born Walter “Wally” Stott in Leeds in 1924 and became a highly rated alto sax player. But in 1972 he had a sex change operation in Scandinavia and came back as Angela Morley.

Bessie Smith is regarded as one of the greatest blues singers in history. As a child she busked in the street to make money for her impoverished family, but the bisexual Smith went on to become the highest paid black entertainer of the day.

Dame Ethel Smyth was born in 1858. Her work The Wreckers is considered one of the most important later English operas. But she is best known for her involvement with the Suffragettes.

LGBT History Month’s creator, Sue Sanders, said of the event: “The whole point of the month is to make LGBT people visible, because if you don’t say people are LGBT it would be assumed they are straight.”