Symphony No. 2 in C minor
Healey Willan
Work background
Researched classical background
Willan's Second Symphony belongs to the orchestral side of a career more often associated with organ and choral music. The C-minor work followed an earlier symphony in D minor and was completed in 1948. Its identity and completion date are documented in the composer society's archive and in accounts published during Willan's lifetime.
A listening guide
Editorial listening suggestion: compare this orchestral work with Willan's organ and choral writing.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Orchestra
Composition: 1948
Completion in 1948 is corroborated; reviewed accounts differ on the beginning and revision history.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
The start date is not settled here; sources describe an earlier draft or a longer composition period.
No specific programme or personal inspiration has been established.
Healey Willan Society: multimedia archive
Second Symphony in C minor, B74, completed 1948; recording links | Reviewed 2026-10-19
F. R. C. Clarke: Healey Willan, Life and Music
Research biography identifies two symphonies and Second Symphony completion in 1948 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
The Diapason, November 1950
Contemporary account identifies Second Symphony in C minor as completed in 1948 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Healey Willan Society: multimedia archive
Second Symphony in C minor, B74, completed 1948; recording links | Reviewed 2026-10-19
F. R. C. Clarke: Healey Willan, Life and Music
Research biography identifies two symphonies and Second Symphony completion in 1948 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
The Diapason, November 1950
Contemporary account identifies Second Symphony in C minor as completed in 1948 | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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