Catalogued historically as the Duet for Organ and Trombone (App. I, 31), though often found on modern recordings under the more imposing title Duo Concertante, this early work is a fascinating footnote in the chronicle of Gustav Holst’s student years. It dates from 1894, a pivotal moment during his time at the Royal College of Music when fate forced a change in his musical trajectory. By the mid-1890s, the neuritis in Holst’s right hand had become severe enough to make his original ambition of a career as a concert pianist increasingly impossible. With characteristic pragmatism, he pivoted to the trombone, a decision that would eventually lead him to the pit orchestras of the Carl Rosa Opera Company and the Scottish Orchestra (even performing under Richard Strauss at multiple points!).

Holst found support for this new direction from his father, Adolph von Holst, who arranged for the work’s premiere. The first performance took place on May 8, 1895, at the Highbury Congregational Church in Cheltenham, with Adolph himself at the organ and a local musician named John Boyce taking the trombone part.

Despite being a student effort, the piece was received warmly by the local press. Biographer Jon C. Mitchell unearths a contemporary review which described it as an “interesting duet,” noting that “the association of the two instruments is highly effective, as the strident tones of the trombone are not overwhelmed by the accompanying mass of organ sound.”