The Life of Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst was born on 21 September 1874 in Cheltenham, England, the first of two children born to Adolph and Clara von Holst. Adolph was an accomplished pianist who taught students and practiced for many hours during the day, often to the neglect of his wife, Clara, and their two children. Adolph’s family was of […]

Gustav Holst was thin and anaemic, yet his movements were quick and he walked with long, energetic strides. Looking for ways to remain thrifty, Holst would walk or cycle much of the way home to Cheltenham from the College. He must have cut an odd figure with his trombone strapped over his back. In 1895, […]

Gustav Holst came into a small legacy when his father died, so he and Isobel went to Berlin for a short holiday. He returned to London vowing to give up the trombone and concentrate on composing. Like Edward Elgar before him, Holst was initially destined to be disappointed. He wrote many good songs, but they […]

In the Summer of 1911, under the guidance of Gustav Holst, Morley College gave the first performance of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen since the seventeenth century. The full score had been lost shortly after Purcell’s death. Holst got permission for several of the Morley students to copy out the complete vocal and orchestral parts. […]

At the time, Holst seemed to recover quickly from his head injury, and he accepted an invitation to go to America to conduct a music festival at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. During the voyage, he scored his Fugal Concerto for flute, oboe, and strings. While he was in America, his recent opera, The […]

In October 1927, Holst received an invitation from Dr. George Bell, the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, to write some music for a dramatic production called The Coming of Christ. In later years, when Dr. Bell had become Bishop of Chichester, the Whitsuntide Festivals were held in his Cathedral. In Chichester, they reached the glory of […]

After Gustav Holst’s death, there came the inevitable decline in performances. But The Planets had, of course, secured his international reputation. And largely due to the untiring work of his daughter, Imogen Holst, and the enterprise of a number of enthusiasts and record companies like Lyrita, Chandos, and Hyperion, modern audiences have been able to […]