Although he lived and worked outside London's cosmopolitan mainstream, William Hayes was an influential and well-rounded musician – organist, singer, conductor, and writer – who as a composer contributed to most major genres of his time. This chapter outlines his career at the University of Oxford and examines three large-scale works written for university occasions, illustrating the breadth of his ambition and the vitality and importance of Oxford's musical life.

Born in Gloucester in January 1708 and trained at the cathedral, Hayes took up his first post in 1729 as organist of St Mary’s, Shrewsbury. Two years later he moved to Worcester as cathedral organist. ‘But his Genius was not designed for so narrow a Sphere […] Oxford was the Place of all others he wished to settle in for the Remainder of his Life.’ He visited the city in July 1733 for Handel's concerts designed to revive interest in the university's summer Act Week ceremonies, and in the following year succeeded Thomas Hecht as organist and Informator Choristarum at Magdalen College. Hayes quickly established himself in university and city musical circles, receiving the degree of BMus on 8 July 1735 for his ode ‘When the fair consort’, and he attracted over 500 subscriptions for his maiden publication, the Twelve Arietts or Ballads, and Two Cantatas. His first important act at Magdalen was to oversee the installation of a new organ by Thomas Swarbrick, which he officially opened on St Cecilia's Day (22 November) 1736:

This performance of Acis and Galatea may have been part of Oxford's annual celebrations of St Cecilia's Day, records of which are sparse but include Hayes's Song for St Cecilia's Day (1742) and a performance of Handel's Samson for Hayes's benefit on 22 November 1743.