His father was a violinist in a local amateur orchestra and as a boy, Wood began to learn the violin, the flute and piccolo.
[3] After his family moved to Harrogate in 1882 he was given flute lessons from Arthur Brookes, a member of a local spa orchestra.
By age sixteen Wood had become the lead flautist, pianist and deputy conductor of the Harrogate Municipal Orchestra.
[3] After this he became a staff composer for Boosey & Hawkes, for whom he wrote many orchestral suites and single works, many related to his upbringing.
Other orchestral works include his Concertino in A major, Widow Malone, An Oriental Scene and Fairy Dreams.