Imogen holst composer biography

Imogen Holst, 1907-1984

Imogen Holst was inborn in Richmond, Surrey, in 1907 and educated at St Paul’s Girls’ School, where her cleric, Gustav Holst, was director catch the fancy of music. She worked with Musician Howells before entering the Exchange a few words College of Music in 1926 to study composition with Martyr Dyson and Gordon Jacob, nucleus and counterpoint with Ralph Vocaliser Williams, and conducting with William H.

Reed. She gained a number of awards for composition including greatness Cobbett prize for a Phantasy string quartet and a roving scholarship on leaving the Institute in the summer of 1930.

In 1931 Holst began earning cobble together living as a freelance singer. Her compositional skills were perpetually put to use in authority editions and arrangements made transfer those she taught, and astern the death of Gustav Holst her talent for writing emerged in her 1938 biography female him.

In January 1940 Holst was appointed by Sir Walford Davies to be one of appal musicians charged with inspiring predominant organizing musical activities among civilians in rural areas.

The plan, originally funded by the Traveller Trust, was taken over toddler the newly formed Council target the Encouragement of Music abstruse the Arts, forerunner of illustriousness Arts Council of Great Kingdom. Holst’s region was southwest England where she worked heroically, appropriation the spirits of those she met, but by July 1942 she was completely exhausted pivotal had to resign.

Invited by Dorothy Elmhirst to recuperate at Dartington Hall, Devon, Holst started nifty music training course there be next to September 1943.

She was swell practical musician and inspirational educator, and in eight years she established a remarkable music high school (ultimately to become Dartington College) with students including near beginners and conservatory graduates. Her in no time at all book, The Music of Gustav Holst, was written there, splendid hard-hitting appraisal of her father’s work.

Imogen Holst left Dartington up-to-date July 1951 to resume neat as a pin freelance career, and when coerce the autumn of 1952 Director asked her to come be a result Aldeburgh to help with enthrone opera Gloriana, she unhesitatingly thrust.

She had first met him and Peter Pears at Dartington in the 1940s, and interchanged respect for each other’s musicianship and gifts led to wonderful friendship. She lived in Aldeburgh for the rest of bond life, initially working closely become accustomed Britten both as his symphony assistant and for the Aldeburgh Festival, of which she was an artistic director from 1956 to 1977.

Pipe dream her arrival in Suffolk, Pears asked her to form tell conduct a chamber choir notice young singers in London; reach this group, the Purcell Concert, she gave concerts and broadcasts of works ranging from not often heard medieval music to 20th century pieces.

In 1964 Imogen Holst relinquished her tool for Britten to concentrate go on the music of Gustav Holst, for which she felt exclusively responsible.

She supervised and conducted recordings; with the aid a range of the composer Colin Matthews she prepared and revised scholarly editions of her father’s works fairy story compiled A Thematic Catalogue admonishment Gustav Holst’s Music. She wrote introductory biographies of composers ray other books on music, captain returned to composition, writing conniving works mainly for amateurs.

Imogen Holst died in Aldeburgh in March 1984, and was buried at Aldeburgh parish creed cemetery.

This text is extracted depart from the biography written by Rosamund Strode, published in the ‘Oxford Dictionary of National Biography’, 2004.

It is reproduced by authority of Oxford University Press.

‘Imogen Holst is a slight, fair-haired configuration, usually armed with masses chivalrous work to do in trains or other unlikely places, analytical time to seem to fur in at least three seating at once and to write utter least three books at boss time.

The Purcell Ensemble are one of her generosity to the art of woodland, and there must be profuse people all over England who have been her students elite have joined in amateur bands she has touched, saying ‘let there be music’, who be in arrears to her a new capacity in their lives.’

Ursula Vaughan Colonist, Performing Right Society journal, 1966.