Christian Victor Noel Hope Hely-Hutchinson (26 December 1901 – 11 March 1947) was a British composer, conductor, pianist and music administrator. He is best known for the Carol Symphony and for humorous song-settings.Hurd, Michael. 'Hely-Hutchinson, (Christian) Victor (Noel Hope)' in Grove Music Online, 2001 (subscription needed)
Early life Hely-Hutchinson was born in Newlands, Cape Town, Cape Colony (now Cape Town, South Africa). His parents were Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, Governor of Cape Colony from 1901 to 1910 during and after the Boer War, and May Hely-Hutchinson. He initially lived in Kent, then moved back to South Africa in 1907. He was taught the piano by Dr Thomas Barrow Dowling (1861–1926), the organist of Cape Town cathedral. Victor was a child prodigy, composing many pieces before the age of ten – his parents had a collection of sketches for violin and piano published as A Child's Thoughts in 1909. Brock, Donald. Composers' Gallery (1946), p. 74 archive.org, accessed 10 December 2020
In England in 1910, he was taught piano by Donald Tovey and was initially educated at Heatherdown School, near Ascot in Berkshire. In 1914, his father died. Victor was then educated at Eton College, and then read history at Balliol College, Oxford. Music, however, prevailed and after one year at Oxford he was granted permission to study for a Mus. Bac. at the Royal College of Music, where he studied conducting under Adrian Boult. In 1922, he returned to Cape Town to teach at the South African College of Music, which was later incorporated into the University of Cape Town.
Later life and death He married Marjorie Anna Hugo, daughter of Dr. Dirk de Vos and Mrs. Hugo of Sonnenstrahl, Wynberg, Cape Town in Cape Town in June 1925.The Tatler Wednesday 6 May 1925, page 70
He joined the BBC at Savoy Hill in 1926, becoming a conductor, pianist, and accompanist. He moved to Hampstead, where his two sons were born. Sir Adrian Boult was a godfather to his children.Hampstead News Thursday 28 January 1932
In 1933, he moved once again to Birmingham to become Midland Regional Director of Music for the BBC, where he formed and conducted the Midland Studio Orchestra. In 1934, he left the BBC to become Professor of Music at the University of Birmingham, taking over from Sir Granville Bantock. From 1934 to 1944 he was Peyton and Barber Professor of Music, where he founded the University of Birmingham Music Society.
In 1938, he saw signs of war, and relocated his family out of Birmingham to a nearby village. During the war he became an ARP warden. He became a D.Mus from Oxford University in 1941. He also joined the university's officer cadet force. In 1944, he returned to the BBC to become overall Director of Music, succeeding Arthur Bliss. He moved to St John's Wood. He never purchased a car, always using his bicycle.
The winter of 1947 was very long-lasting and to save fuel (which was still rationed), Hely-Hutchinson refused to switch on the radiators in his office. He developed a cold, which became influenza, and he was ill by late February 1947.Birmingham Daily Gazette Friday 21 February 1947, page 1Gloucestershire Echo Friday 21 February 1947, page 4 By early March 1947 he was convalescing;Evening News Tuesday 4 March 1947, page 2 he had been ill for six weeks, and it was thought that he had been making reasonable progress in recovering, but he died at his home at 26 Queen's Grove, in St. John's Wood,Lancashire Evening Post Tuesday 11 March 1947, page 1 from acute meningitis on 11 March 1947 at the age of 45. Astra Desmond sang at his memorial service.
His son Chris married in 1963,Times Thursday 18 April 1963, page 12 and lived in Peopleton in Worcestershire until 1979, where he worked for GKN.Birmingham Daily Post Friday 4 May 1979, page 14 In the early 1980s Chris lived in Culmington in south Shropshire.Field Wednesday 17 February 1982, page 8 A grandson was born in August 1968,Times Friday 16 August 1968, page 14 who attended Eton.Shropshire Star Friday 29 March 1985, page 7Shropshire Star Wednesday 28 May 1986, page 9 A granddaughter was born in 1973, who married the grandson of David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie in 2009. The wife of Chris died in Shropshire on 29 March 2018, aged 74. Times Friday 6 April 2018, page 55
His son John married Allison Joyce Simpson on 27 April 1957 at St Columba's Church, Pont Street.Times Tuesday 30 April 1957, page 12 They moved to South Africa in 1969 with their 2 children. John died on 30 December 2020
His wife Marjorie died in 1988.
Works Although mostly forgotten now, Hely-Hutchinson's orchestral music enjoyed some popularity during his lifetime, including the Overture to a Pantomime, and the substantial Variations, Intermezzo and Finale, (described by the composer as a set of symphonic variations) premiered at the Proms in 1927.BBC Proms, 10 September 1927 www.bbc.co.uk, accessed 10 December 2020 The Young Idea, a lighter, jazz-influenced rhapsody for piano and orchestra, was also played at the Proms in 1930 and was recorded in 2008 with the BBC Concert Orchestra and David Owen Norris as soloist.Victor Hely-Hutchinson: The Young Idea: Rhapsody for piano and orchestra 10 April 2008 Land of Lost Content, landofllostcontent.blogspot.com, accessed 10 December 2020 A Symphony for small orchestra, using music reworked from some of his film scores, was heard posthumously at the Proms in 1947.BBC Proms, 25 July 1947 www.bbc.co.uk, accessed 10 December 2020
By far his best known work is the Carol Symphony written in 1927. The four movements - really chorale preludes rather than symphonic movementsJürgen Schaarwächter, Two Centuries of British Symphonism: From the beginnings to 1945. A preliminary survey, Vol. I, p.564, Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim-Zurich-New York, 2015.Philip L Scowcroft. Victor Hely-Hutchinson , short biography at Wise Music - are based on the traditional English Christmas carols:Mark Connelly, Christmas: A History, p. 231, I. B. Tauris, London New York, 2012. O Come, All Ye Faithful God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen The Coventry Carol and The First Nowell Here We Come A-wassailing
The third movement was used for the title music of the 1943 Children's Hour and 1984 BBC children's television adaptation of John Masefield's The Box of Delights, in particular the variation on the theme of The First Nowell.Theme to The Box of Delights, Pro Arte Orchestra (1966) BBC Records and Tapes, www.youtube.com, accessed 10 December 2020
He remains well known for his settings of various nursery rhymes and children's poems. His setting of "Old Mother Hubbard" is arranged in the manner of Handel.Old Mother Hubbard. Exultate Chamber Choir (2004) www.youtube.com, accessed 10 December 2020 His song setting of Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat" was notably recorded in 1955 by Elton HayesElton Hayes. The Owl and the Pussycat www.youtube.com and featured regularly on the BBC's Children's Favourites radio show.The Owl and the Pussycat. Performance (as a duet) from the Leeds Lieder Festival, 2016 www.youtube.com, accessed 10 December 2020
Songs
With texts by William BlakeThe LiederNet Archive - Christian Victor Hely-Hutchinson, accessed 10 December 2020 Five Songs of Innocence Piping down the valleys wild The Lamb Infant Joy Spring The Little Boy Lost The Echoing Green and Other Songs The Echoing Green The Shepherd Laughing Song Holy Thursday The Blossom A Cradle Song
With texts by Edward Lear Three Nonsense SongsPaterson's Publications Ltd. (1927) The Owl and the Pussy-cat The Table and the Chair The Duck and the Kangaroo
With texts by Harry Graham Twenty-one songs from "Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes" (1945)Edward Arnold & Co. (1945) More Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes (1946)
With texts by Walter de la Mare Three Songs from "Peacock Pie" The cupboard The window The little old Cupid Song of a Soldier (1933)Helen Woo, New Music in China and the C.C. Liu Collection at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press, HKU
Orchestral Three Fugal Fancies, for strings (1925) Carol Symphony (1927) Variations, Intermezzo and Finale for orchestra (1927) The Young Idea: Rhapsody for piano and orchestra (1930) Overture to a Pantomime (1938)Radio Times Issue 796, 1 January 1939, p 18 genome.ch.bbc.co.uk, accessed 10 December 2020 Symphony for Small Orchestra (1942) Solemn Prelude, in G South African Suite
Dramatic Hearts are Trumps (Operetta) (1932) The Unveiling (Nativity play) (1932) Much incidental music for plays, theatre and radio
Chamber Piano Quintet Piano Sonata String Quartet Viola Sonata Violin Sonata
Bibliography Jürgen Schaarwächter, Two Centuries of British Symphonism: From the beginnings to 1945. A preliminary survey, Vol. I, pp. 564–565, Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim-Zurich-New York, 2015. Artist Biography by Bruce Eder, Allmusic.com Mark Connelly, Christmas: A History, I. B. Tauris, London New York, 2012. Benjamin Britten, Letters from a Life Vol 1: 1923-39, Edited by Donald Mitchell.
References
External links MusicWeb biography Biography