The Holy Boy is a short composition by the English composer John Ireland.
[2] The original version is from Christmas 1913, and was published in 1915 as The Holy Boy – A Carol, the third item in his four Preludes for Piano.
[3] Musically, it features an ostensibly simple melody; but as with many of Ireland's works, the harmonic structure is more complex.
His biographer Muriel Searle has said, "Simple to the point of austerity, The Holy Boy remains one of the public's favourite Ireland works.
"[4] Burn writes, "With its wistful melody and subtle shifts of harmony it is quintessential Ireland".