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Gustav Holst was born here at 4 Clarence Road, Cheltenham on 21 September 1874. Although chiefly remembered today as the composer of 'The Planets', he was a prolific composer who wrote in practically every classical genre from solo-song and chamber pieces to massively scored orchestral works and opera. His compositions are intensely original and individual; he was inspired by sources as diverse as Sanskrit and English folk-song and he had an innate understanding of the descriptive qualities of orchestral instruments and the human voice.
After studying at the Royal College of Music, (where he and Vaughan Williams became life-long friends), he worked for the Carl Rosa Opera Company and the Scottish Orchestra playing the trombone, before settling down to a busy life of teaching and composing. He became music teacher at Dulwich Girls' School (1903-20), director of music at St Paul's Girls' School, Hammersmith (1905-34), music director at Morley College (1907-24) and in 1919 professor of music at University College, Reading. A friend of William Morris in his youth, Holst believed passionately in the community spirit of music and that music should be accessible to everyone.
Enter 4 Clarence Road and you see the house much as the young Gustav did when he was growing up here in the 1870s. The house is the only example in Gloucestershire of a Victorian-Edwardian family home complete with the furnishings and utensils of that period.
The Holst Birthplace Trust aims to honour the life and promote the music of Gustav Holst and encourage the performance and understanding of his work. |
