Gustavus Theodore von Holst, was an English composer, arranger, and teacher born on September 21, 1874, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He passed away on May 25, 1934, in London. Holst is best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, but he composed many other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success’
Holst came from a family with three generations of professional musicians, and it was evident from his early years that he would follow in their footsteps. He initially hoped to become a pianist, but was prevented by neuritis in his right arm. Despite this setback and his father’s reservations, he pursued a career as a composer, studying at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford
Unable to support himself solely through his compositions, Holst played the trombone professionally and later became a teacher—a role in which he excelled, according to his colleague Ralph Vaughan Williams. He built up a strong tradition of performance at Morley College, where he served as musical director from 1907 until 1924, and he pioneered music education for women at St Paul’s Girls’ School, where he taught from 1905 until his death in 1934.
Holst’s music was frequently played in the early 20th century, but it was not until the international success of The Planets in the years immediately after the First World War that he became a well-known figure. A shy man, Holst did not enjoy fame and preferred to be left in peace to compose and teach.
In his later years, his personal style of composition was considered too austere by many, leading to a decline in his popularity. However, he was an important influence on a number of younger English composers, including Edmund Rubbra, Michael Tippett, and Benjamin Britten. After a period of neglect, Holst’s music saw a resurgence in the 1980s when recordings of much of his output became available.
Holst's Phantasy on British Folksongs Op. 36, is based on four English Folk Songs. Composed in 1916 the music is beautiful and nostalgic. Holst apparently…
Holst’s Phantasy on British Folksongs Op. 36, is based on four English Folk Songs. Composed in 1916 the music is beautiful and nostalgic. Holst apparently withdrew the work subsequently, claiming it was his ‘guilty secret’! This new edition was typeset by Chris & Frances Nex after the edition by Roderick Swanston at the behest of the Bridge Quartet.
World premiere recording by the The Bridge Quartet is available on the EM Records label: The English Phantasy (EMRCD025).
Duration: approximately 11 minutes. Composed in 1916
Roderick Swanston reconstructed this piece from the original sketches, which was performed at the Steinway Hall in 1917, and Imogen, Gustav’s daughter, thought it worth making it into a Suite on Hampshire Folksongs for string orchestra.
The four songs used appear in the order ‘Eggs in her Basket’ (also known as ‘Bedlam City’), ‘The Outlandish Knight’, ‘The Female Farmer’ and ‘Claudy Banks’, returning in a different order before the conclusion.
