I'm sure I read somewhere a direct quote of Thomas Hardy's where he said or wrote of Soldier's Joy that it was the tune he favoured above all others (scribbled in his tune book perhaps?) and someone else (?) commenting that he could play it over & over without tiring of it.

Incidentally, the Guardian has reprinted his obit, written by Alfred Noyes (you have to scroll down, but the whole page of links is interesting):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog