The holiday season is a time of tradition, wonder, and creativity, and few embody these qualities better than Thomas Hewitt Jones, a composer whose work has become synonymous with the magic of Christmas. From arranging timeless carols to producing viral hits, his music seamlessly blends classical sensibilities with contemporary appeal, resonating with audiences of all ages.
In this interview, Thomas takes us behind the scenes of his world. He shares insights into the art of crafting holiday music, the importance of preserving tradition while embracing modernity, and the personal inspirations that drive his work.
Thomas, you have such a Christmassy vibe! Do you decorate the tree yourself, or do you leave it to someone else? What ornaments absolutely must be on the branches?
I’m a sucker for a real Christmas tree each year – it is surely a luxury yet essential part of the traditional British Christmas. The smell of it is so evocative and takes you back to childhood. My wife, Annalisa, has a better visual eye than I do, and she likes to decorate it. I do help her. This year we’ve gone for golden lights among red and silver baubles, with a seasonal assortment of hanging mice, reindeer and a few miniature violins. There would be a star (or a violin) on the very top, but the crown of this year’s tree is too high to reach!
Christmas music tends to get stuck in our heads. Do you have a holiday tune that you secretly find yourself humming more than others?
I was brought up with all the traditional carols, and love them all. I’ve recently arranged Funny Song: Christmas Pop version which is just out – it’s really stuck in my head this year! Since I was a kid, I’ve always also had a soft spot for Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. A classic festive miniature.
“Funny Song” went viral. Was there anything funny about the process of creating it? Or was it not funny at all? How did this even happen?
I sang and played ‘Funny Song’ in one take, straight to stereo, late one evening for my own amusement. When the publisher (Cavendish Music) were asking for tracks for an album about a year later, I sent it in to them. They asked for ‘stems’ (which are submixes of each family of instruments, to allow possibility of remixing) – but I didn’t have any stems! It was a one-take wonder, and I can’t recreate it because I don’t remember any of the mix settings!
What role does the children’s audience play in your music? What do you need to consider when creating Christmas music specifically for kids?
Music for children to enjoy needs to be preferably written within the range of about one octave, so it can be easy to sing. I love writing for young voices. Beyond that, music written for the children’s market doesn’t need to dumb down at all. In my humble opinion, children appreciate good quality music and lyrics, and don’t need to be patronised. This year I’ve written several carols with my friend and lyricist collaborator Gordon Giles, who is a lovely wordsmith as well as being Canon Chancellor at Rochester Cathedral. One of these, ‘Homeward Light’, was written for the choristers of St Stephen’s Church in South Dulwich and I just produced a recording of them singing it, with their chorister tutor Caroline Lenton-Ward and Director of Music Oliver Lallemant conducting and accompanying respectively. It was a glorious project; writing effective music for children is always a very fulfilling creative challenge.
How important is it for you to create music that works in both digital culture and traditional formats?
It is essential in 2024. Writing for the concert hall only might be fulfilling creatively, but never reach the online audience, which is where the majority of listeners (and more generally, arts-consumers) are these days. Writing only for streaming and social media would be fine but guide one’s creative work solely towards the algorithms’ influence – there is a fine balance to be struck. I do think that every creative professional needs to be on top of the delivery formats these days. Back in the day, successful composers invariably understood the complexities of composer-publisher relationships, and how they need to function.
You work with leading music publishers. What is important to you when choosing partners for distributing your music?
I have been extremely lucky to work with many of the most well-known music publishers, and all of them are a joy to work with. My overriding core belief is that on a basic level, the publisher of any particular piece must actually like your music. Otherwise it doesn’t really work for either side. I have been very careful to cultivate and maintain good working relationships with my publishers over the years. I learnt this from my grandfather Tony, who was a choral composer who studied with Nadia Boulanger, but who signed an exclusive publishing agreement with a major music publisher and it never really worked out for him.
As well as working with other publishers, I have my own music publisher Vivum Music Ltd. which currently operates on a small scale servicing only my music, but which I will expand in the medium term future.
The Christmas magic in your music shines so brightly. Was there something special in your childhood or youth that ignited that spark?
I think singing in carol services as a young kid ignited that spark. Also the hope and expectation which Christmas affords each year, and most importantly the unconditional love and time spent with family and friends. That’s ultimately what matters most in life, isn’t it?
What’s your most unusual Christmas inspiration? For example, an idea that came to you while roasting a turkey?
I write most of my Christmas music in the first part of the year, and finish it in the heat of summer. Christmas is truly all year round. But I have been known to suddenly have a musical idea on Christmas Day itself, and I’ll nip off to a piano with some manuscript paper, probably inspired by some aspect of the festivities. I remember once I had an idea for an Easter piece at Christmas, which was extremely confusing.
You’ve worked with royal ensembles. Imagine you had to write music for the British royal family. What would it sound like?
I think music for the Royal Family would always want to be optimistic and fresh, while celebrating their heritage. Fusing the best of tradition with a fresh, forward-thinking assurance; looking to the future with a taste of the sublime, which is so often written about in musical aesthetics.
You seem like a super-organized person. But is there at least one gift you always end up buying at the last minute?
I am very organised in some ways (you should see my diary!) but not in others – my composing studio is quite messy. I think of my own compositional process as the art of bringing musical disorder into order, and so I wouldn’t want to start from a place of too much order. And so, if my room was too tidy, I couldn’t come up with ideas. That’s what I tell my wife, anyway 
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