| 1875 | 9th August: Born 41 Alma Street, Aston Manor. |
| 1880 | Musical talent realised, (circa 1880) |
| 1883 | Begins piano lessons with W. Newey. (circa 1883) |
| 1884 | Becomes choirboy at St. Silas’ Church, Lozells. (circa 1884) |
| 1886 | Becomes student at the recently established School of Music of the Birmingham and Midland Institute. |
| 1888 | Is the only student to gain a first class pass in examinations in Advanced Harmony. Sonata for Pianoforte. |
| 1889 | Wins Queen Victoria Scholarship for Composition at Trinity College of Music, London. 27th June: Articles of Pupilship signed with Trinity College of Music. Goes to London where he continues his formal education at Fitzroy College, where he is also a boarder. 16th August: Performs at private concert, Barford Road Board Schools, Birmingham. Goes into approved lodgings at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Hoare. |
| 1890 | Wins Turner Pianoforte Medal at Trinity College. |
| 1892 | Caprice for Piano and Orchestra. Wins again Queen Victoria Scholarship for Composition and appointed organist at St. John’s Church, Wimbledon. Overture Wins College Medals for Harmony and Counterpoint and the Gabriel Prize. |
| 1892 | Concertstück for Piano and Orchestra (circa 1893) |
| 1893 | Appointed Associate of Trinity College of Music. Rêverie; Romance for piano and violin (or cello) |
| 1895 | Piano Concerto in G Minor Wins Tallis Gold Medal for Counterpoint. Appointed Licentiate of Trinity College of Music |
| 1896 | String Quartet (circa 1896); Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn and Piano (circa 1896) for which he wins the Sir Michael
Costa Prize and the College Gold Medal. Orchestral Suite in Three Movements; Every Good Gift (anthem); Behold upon the Mountains (anthem); Be Strong! All ye People (anthem) Takes up post as conductor of travelling light opera company. |
| 1898 | 23rd June: Gives recital of several of his works at Trinity College of Music. Appointed Musical Director of Opera Comique and moves into
13 Bruton Street.Blow! blow! thou winter wind (song) |
| 1899 | December 1898 to March 1899 “Alice in Wonderland” at Opera Comique. April to May “A Good Time” at Opera Comique. There’s something in the English after all! (song); Under the Starlight (song); In Sweet Disguise (song); The Knight's Return (song); The Heavenly Message (song) Meets Miss Charlotte Siegenberg. |
| 1900 | The Wonder Worker - comic opera in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan which is staged at the Grand Theatre, Fulham Begins transcription work for the Hammond & Co. (circa 1900) |
| 1903 | Six Musical Impressions for Piano; Scherzo de Concert for Flute and Piano |
| 1904 | Begins transcription work for the music publishing company Chappell & Co. |
| 1905 | Six Original Pieces without Octaves (circa 1905) |
| 1906 | 27th August: Marries Charlotte Siegenberg at St. Giles’ Register Office, London, and the couple go to live at 42 (Upper) Bedford Place, Bloomsbury. |
| 1907 | Joins Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd. as their Impresario. Alice in Wonderland - Four characteristic pieces for Piano Op. 20; The Heart’s Awakening (song); At Parting (song) |
| 1909 | Makes his first recording as artist with Columbia as solo organist in Handel’s ‘Hallelujah’ from “Messiah”. My Heart A-dream (song) Moves home to 73 Cromwell Road, Kensington. |
| 1910 | Begins transcription work for the music publishing company Elkin & Co. Prelude in C Sharp Minor |
| 1912 | 15th February: Inaugural performance of The Phantom Melody for which he wins Auguste Van Biene Cello Competition and £50.00 prize sponsored by Tit-Bits Magazine.I Loved you more than I knew (song) |
| 1913 | April: Inaugural performance of Suite de Ballet. 23rd November: Inaugural performance of My Heart still clings to You (song) for which he wins the first prize of £100.00 in the Evening News Song Competition. Berceuse |
| 1914 | The couple move to live at 57 Springfield Road, St. John’s Wood. Keep your Toys, Laddie Boy! (song); Rapsodie sérieuse; The trumpet -voice of Motherland is calling (song); The Old Ingle-nook (song) |
| 1915 | In a Monastery Garden; A Dream Picture; Silver Cloud; Tangled Tunes; Fiddle Fun; “Kinema Music” e.g. Quiet River Scene - Love - Romance; Pathetic - Relating to Sad Story etc; Mexican or Spanish, being music for the silent movies. Mind the Slide! |
| 1916 | “New Moving Picture Book” e.g. Plaintive, Oriental Music, Hurry Music, Mysterioso being music for the silent movies. Begins working for Andre Chariot at the Vaudeville Theatre as Musical Director for the Revue “Samples!”. Pastorale |
| 1917 | Fairy Butterfly (song) |
| 1918 | Becomes member of the Performing Rights Society. |
| 1919 | Bosworth & Co. becomes his main publisher. In the Moonlight |
| 1920 | Wedgwood Blue; In a Persian Market |
| 1921 | Moves home to 15 Frognal, Hampstead.Bells across the Meadows; Evening Calm; Gallantry; A Desert Romance; Reflections; Sunset Glow |
| 1922 | Romantic Suite; The Shadow of Dreams |
| 1923 | July: Involved in the legal proceedings over copyright known as the “Polly Case”.In a Chinese Temple Garden; A Musical Jig-saw; Christmas; Golden Autumn |
| 1924 | 10th April: First performance of Suite romantique. Chal Romano Overture; Will you forgive (song); Sanctuary of the Heart; Love’s Devotion; Cockney Suite; Schmetterling; “Bosworth s Loose Leaf Film - Play Series” (Books 1 and2) e.g. True Love, Arabian Nights, Agitato furioso, Mysterious |
| 1925 | Moves home to 15 Lindfield Gardens, Hampstead.“Bosworth’s Loose-leaf Film - Play Series” (Book 3); In a Lovers’ Garden; In a Camp of the Ancient Britons; Algerian Scene |
| 1926 | Sheet music sales of In a Monastery Garden top 1,000,000. (circa 1926) Following dispute with the Performing Rights Society he resigns his membership, but rejoins later. The critics begin their onslaught in ridiculing his music. Jungle Drums; A Dream of Christmas; Butterfly’s Frolic Resigns from his post with Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. by which time he had risen to become their Musical Director and Adviser. The organist Reginald Foort makes popular recording of In a Monastery Garden and In a Persian Market. |
| 1927 | April: Inaugural performance of Three Fanciful Etchings. 23rd September: Inaugural performance of In a Fairy Realm. By the Blue Hawaiian Waters |
| 1928 | Begins authentic composer recordings with Columbia of 16 of his most popular works, viz “Ketelbey conducting his Concert Orchestra”. |
| 1929 | The Sacred Hour Extensive European concert tour.“The Jazz Singer” brings to an end the era of silent movies. |
| 1930 | 8th February: Inaugural performance of The Clock and the Dresden Figures at the Kingsway Hall, London, in what is to be the first of annual Ketelbey concerts held here. The use of radio and gramophone as a relaxing medium by the masses intensifies.His association with the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall begins. |
| 1931 | 11th April: Inaugural performance of The Vision of Fuji-San and Knights of the King (march). Summer: Packed schedule of concerts in his U.K. tour. In the Mystic Land of Egypt; Sunday Afternoon Reverie |
| 1932 | Dance of the Merry Mascots; A Birthday Greeting The success and popularity of his summer concert tours reach their peak. September: Extensive concert tour in Holland. Peter Dawson records song version of In a Monastery Garden. |
| 1934 | My Lady Brocade 8th May: King George V acclaims A State Procession - the first movement of Cockney Suite. |
| 1935 | 9th February: First public performance of With Honour Crowned (march). With the Roumanian Gypsies Marches incorporated within Pageants at the Aldershot Military Tattoo (continuing each year through to 1938). |
| 1937 | Royal Cavalcade (march); A Mayfair Cinderella (song); I Dream of all the Worlds (song) |
| 1938 | 12th February: Inaugural performance of Sunbeams and Butterflies and In Holiday Mood. |
| 1939 | May: Musical Opinion journal reports “A Ketelbey night means “house full” for the “King of Light Music” is exceedingly popular with orchestras and audiences alike”. |
| 1941 | Fighting for Freedom (marching song) |
| 1945 | 18th November: Inaugural performance of The Adventurers. |
| 1946 | King Cupid (song) |
| 1947 | 20th February: Charlotte dies from pneumonia at Regents Park Nursing Home. Sells home and moves into Hendon Hall Hotel. Suffers nervous breakdown and so convalesces in hotels on south coast. Summer “come-back” concert at Worthing. Meets Mrs. Mabel Maud Pritchett. Caprice Pianistique; Skitty Kitty; Birthday of the Little Princess |
| 1948 | 30th October: Marries Mabel Maud Pritchett at Bournemouth Register Office, and goes to live at Harbour Mount, Bembridge, I.O.W. |
| 1949 | Moves home to “Rookstone”, Egypt Hill, West Cowes. BBC snub his music in their ‘Festival of Light Music’. Angelo d’amore; My Star of Love (song) |
| 1950 | 21st July: First performance of Italian Twilight. |
| 1951 | On Brading Down |
| 1952 | 5th June: With Honour Crowned played as slow march at Trooping the Colour ceremony, whilst the Queen inspected the parade. |
| 1953 | 11th June: With Honour Crowned played as slow march at Trooping the Colour ceremony, whilst the Queen inspected the parade. 5th August: Appears on Eric Robinson’s popular Television programme ‘Music for You’. |
| 1957 | Interviewed by Barry Westwood on Southern Television's 'Music in Camera' TV Programme.. |
| 1959 | Moves home to 41 Osborne Court, Parade, West Cowes. The Swiss Dancing Doll 26th November: Dies at 41 Osborne Court. 1st December: Cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, North London |
