British Composer Victor Hely-Hutchinson
Composed "A Carol Symphony" and Hundreds of Songs
Jan 4, 2009
Victor was born on December 26,1901, to Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, the last Governor of Cape Colony, South Africa, and his wife May. As his mother played the piano and sang, and his sister played the violin, young Victor was introduced to music at a very early age.
In fact at the age of two he was already noticing that "Cuckoo" used the notes E and C on the keyboard. At three, after beginning his studies with Charles Hoby he was able to play "The Merry Peasant," even though his little feet could not reach the pedals.
Pianist and Composer
His mother took him to live in Kent, England, while very young, and they did not return to South Africa until he was five. At this age he was able to simplify orchestral scores for the piano and to transpose at sight.
He had perfect pitch and was obviously destined for a career in the world of music. In South Africa he was a student of Dr.Barrow Dowling, organist of the Cape Town Cathedral and was friendly with Dowling's daughter whose death came as a terrible shock to the young lad. It touched him so deeply that he wrote his first serious compositions during his grieving period.
Donald Tovey
At the age of ten Victor became a student at Heatherdown School, near his home. He had played a work by Beethoven for Sir Hubert Parry, who then strongly suggested that the boy should study with the famous Donald Tovey.
This was a fortuitous circumstance, as Tovey insisted that Victor should learn counterpoint before studying composition. He also introduced him to the absurd in music, which probably sparked an interest in musical jokes and parodies, for example, his song Old Mother Hubbard, which he wrote in the style of George Frederic Handel.
Director of Music BBC
Victor Hely-Hutchinson was a musical genius, and he was about to embark on a sterling career in his chosen field. By 1914, when he entered Eton College, he had already written a symphony, a mass, many songs, and had performed as piano soloist in a Mozart Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.
He went on to study composition with Sir Charles Stanford and appeared in recital as a pianist. During World War One he composed a trilogy of war songs, The Song of the Soldiers, The Unknown Warrior, I Vow to thee my country.
Victor Hely-Hutchinson was a pianist,composer and arranger who became the Director of Music for the BBC following such celebrated musicians as Sir Adrian Boult and Arthur Bliss.
Hely-Hutchinson's later life will be found in Victor Hely-Hutchinson
Source
Personal Correspondence with Victor's son John Hely-Hutchinson, 2008.
For further reading about composers see George Rochberg
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