Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934) British
Known primarily for The Planets Gustav Holst also composed other music, played the trombone and taught at a girl’s school in London. His father taught him piano at an early age, but a nerve disease cut his career as a pianist short. He went on to attend the Royal College of Music where he studied composition and met fellow student Ralph Vaughan Williams who became a lifelong friend.

Holst was very interested in Hindu literature and philosophy and even learned Sanskrit so that he could translate passages written in this language himself. This religion influences many of his works.

Because of his jobs as a trombonist and a teacher, Holst did most of his composing in his spare time. The success of The Planets thrust him suddenly into the spotlight, where he was not very comfortable. However, it also insured his financial well-being. Because of illness, Holst gave up teaching in 1925 and was able to spend the next several years writing music. His works include operas, choral music, orchestral pieces and songs.

Written between 1914-1916 Gustav Holst, ‘The Planets’ represents all the known planets of the Solar System seen from Earth at the time, and their corresponding astrological character. The Planets hit the British music scene like a thunderbolt, despite having to wait until 1920 to receive its first complete public performance, turning Holst into a national celebrity.

Each movement of Holst’s The Planets tells the story of each of the planets’ astrological characteristics:
Mars- the bringer of war
Venus – the bringer of peace
Mercury – the winged messenger of the gods
Jupiter- the bringer of jollity    (* Tune used in I vow to thee is about 3 minutes in)
Saturn – the bringer of old age
Uranus – the magician
Neptune – the mystic

I vow to thee my country, played here by a string quartet  took a poem by Cecil Rice and set it to music using a tune that he used in Jupiter.    This hymn has become one of the most popular hymns of all time.  Listen to it sung here at the Festival of Remembrance

He composed the tune for the carol In the Bleak Mid Winter ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ which we sing at Christmas using lyrics from a poem by Christina Rossetti.

Holst’s music influenced many – including John Williams and recently Billie Eilish
The Rig Veda is an ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, and some of the most important texts of Hinduism. The texts were likely written between 1500 and 1000 BCE.

In 1907, Holst purchased translations of these ancient texts and was inspired to set a number to music, including the Hymn to Vena, which depicts an image of “the rising sun through the mist”.

Over 100 years later Billie Eilish uses the same words and Holst’s tune in her song ‘Goldwing’

I vow to thee my country, string quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq6fpamXops

I vow to thee my country, full chorus at Royal Albert Hall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvouc8Qs_MI

In the Bleak Midwinter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE0aIQp9V4s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpL7scu-EmY

Mars – Bringer of War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXOanvv4plU

Jupiter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu77Vtja30c

Mars – BBC 10 pieces

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/14ZjT5yjnKQRdKVsqrLzk1x/mars-from-the-planets-by-gustav-holst

Billie Eilish ‘Goldwing’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpL7scu-EmY