(contributed by Kenric Taylor <ktaylor@wso.williams.edu>)

Gustav Holst was born into a very musical family; as a child, he was taught the piano, organ and trombone. He studied at the Royal College of Music, and this is where he met his lifelong friend Ralph Vaughan Williams. Stricken with neuritis in his right hand, he was forced to give up the piano, but this did not deter his composing. His was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and started his composing career, creating little jigs based on other friends poems.

In 1905, he was named director of music at St. Paul’s Girls School, and he held this position until his death. He was an avid Henry Purcell admirer, giving the first performance of Purcell’s "Fairy Queen" since 1697 and thus was very instrumental in the Purcell revival. Holst was an intense nationalist, and after his rejection from the Royal military because of his neuritis and bad eyesight, he became a conductor of the military band, and toured much of Europe supporting the British through music.

In 1914, Holst began work on The Planets, and this was to become his most famous piece. However he was much more a choral composer than orchestral. His Hymn of Jesus exemplifies much more intensity than much of his other works. Holst died in 1934 following an operation to remove an ulcer. Through the work of his daughter, Imogen, much of his music that would have been forgotten has been brought to the public.