Victor Hely-Hutchinson was a 20th-century English composer, pianist, and conductor whose career was inextricably linked to the early days of the BBC. After entering Oxford University at the age of 16, he later became the BBC’s Director of Music, where he championed both serious and light music for radio audiences. His Carol Symphony, first performed on December 18, 1927, by the Wireless Symphony Orchestra (the forerunner of the BBC Symphony Orchestra) under the direction of John Barbirolli, remains his best-known work.
According to Hely-Hutchinson, the symphony represents “an attempt to express the spirit of joy which is called up by the memories of the romance and mystery of the manger.” The four movements, played without pause, are all based on traditional Christmas tunes. In the finale, “Here We Come A-Wassailing” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful” emerge from a fugue based on the work’s opening phrase.
