Carol Symphony
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Carol Symphony is a collection of four preludes, written by Victor Hely-Hutchinson in 1927. It is based on four Christmas carols, given additional orchestration and counterpoint arrangements. The four movements are written to be played uninterrupted consecutively.
It begins with God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, then comes The First Noël, then O Come All Ye Faithful.
Two sections from the First Noel section became used for the beginning and closing titles of The Box of Delights (written by John Masefield) 1984 children's series on the BBC. It used a recording conducted by Barry Rose in 1966 of the Pro Arte Orchestra at Guildford Cathedral. During World War 2, the book had been adapted for radio on the BBC's Children's Hour, and Hely-Hutchinson's same music had been used.
