Britten Thematic Catalogue

The date was originally unknown, but due to the handwriting on the manuscript it is possible to trace the arrangement to the period when Britten was suffering from bursitis and had to write with his left hand (Autumn 1953). Furthermore, Imogen Holst writes in her diary that she is copying out an orchestral arrangement of a 'French carol' on 6 Dec 1953. See Letters from a life, volume 3, p. 166; and Imogen Holst: A life in music (1st edition), p. 274.