Express & Star

Wolverhampton chorister's new Christmas carol in running for BBC contest

A new Christmas carol composed by a musician from the region is in the running to be crowned the nation's favourite festive tune.

Published
David Hughes

David Hughes has landed in the final of the BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Carol Competition with his recently-penned carol ' The Bee Carol'.

It is the second time the singer and musician has been shortlisted in the national contest for composing festive-themed music.

This year's radio contest challenged amateur composers to create new music for The Bee Carol - a poem by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

The chorister, from Wolverhampton, said: "I wanted to create an intimate feel to the carol, reflecting the mood of the poem, and so chose to set it for unaccompanied choir in the manner of a lullaby.

"I tried to avoid imitating any bee sounds, but could not resist a play on the word 'cluster' - and its musical meaning - in the last line of the carol.

"It is a reflective and intimate poem, with some very evocative words."

More than 400 entries were received, with the final six chosen by judges including Master of The Queen's Music and former City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra resident composer Judith Weir, and conductor Bob Chilcott.

Finalists were announced on the Breakfast Show earlier this month, where the BBC Singers performed each competing composition in full.

Online voting is now open until 5pm on Thursday, with the winning carol set to be announced on the Radio 3 Breakfast Show on Friday.

Mr Hughes, who has been a member of Birmingham Bach Choir since 1986, made it through to the 2017 final with Sir Christèmas.

The 63-year-old studied music at Wolverhampton Grammar School before becoming a corporate lawyer in London and Birmingham.

The musician, who lives in Compton, finally returned to Wolverhampton, working as a consultant with FBC Manby Bowdler before retiring.

His carol Sir Christèmas was performed by the Birmingham Bach Choir at its Nine Lessons and Carols service at Birmingham's St Alban's Church on Sunday.