Gustav Holst spent a good portion of his musical life
dealing with students and other non-professional
musicians. In 1903 he succeeded his good friend Ralph
Vaughan Williams as the director of the school
orchestra at James Allen's Girls' School in London. Two
years later he became musical director at the St.
Paul's Girls' School, a post he kept for the rest of
his life. Along with his teaching, Holst continued to
compose in his spare time, and around 1907, began to
explore English and Scottish f...(+)
Gustav Holst spent a good portion of his musical life
dealing with students and other non-professional
musicians. In 1903 he succeeded his good friend Ralph
Vaughan Williams as the director of the school
orchestra at James Allen's Girls' School in London. Two
years later he became musical director at the St.
Paul's Girls' School, a post he kept for the rest of
his life. Along with his teaching, Holst continued to
compose in his spare time, and around 1907, began to
explore English and Scottish folk music. Those folk
tunes started making their way into compositions like
the St. Paul's Suite for string orchestra, written in
1912-13 for his students at the St. Paul's School.
The suite opens with this, a slightly dark Jig
(alternating between 6/8 and 9/8 time), based on a
memorably rustic tune.
SHEET MUSIC