大象传媒

Donald Macleod delves into the period when Imogen Holst moved to Aldeburgh to work with Britten.

Imogen Holst was a significant part of the British classical music scene during the twentieth century. Holst was prominent as a composer, conductor, writer on music, teacher, administrator and artistic director. She also worked as an amanuensis to Benjamin Britten. As the daughter of Gustav Holst, Imogen was raised in an artistic environment, and her early aspirations were to be a dancer. She studied at the Royal College of Music where she won a number of prizes and awards, and developed a passion for British folksong. During World War Two, Holst travelled the UK to support cultural activities, and she established the famous music education centre at Dartington Hall in Devon. There followed an invitation to Aldeburgh where she would support Benjamin Britten for many years in his compositional activities. Holst later became an Artistic Director for the Aldeburgh Festival. She wrote many books, including studies of Britten and her father. In later in life, she was active in cataloguing her father鈥檚 compositions and preparing them for publication. Throughout this exceptionally busy career, including establishing the Purcell Singers and giving radio interviews, Imogen Holst continued to compose and wrote many works from choral pieces and folksong arrangements, to concertos and string quartets. Her considerable output as a composer is only just beginning to be appreciated, and throughout this series we also hear archive recordings of Holst in interview.

In 1952 Benjamin Britten invited Imogen Holst to Aldeburgh to discuss the Festival he was planning. She soon moved there, and would remain there for the rest of her life. Holst became invaluable to Britten, acting as his amanuensis for many years; proof reading scores and preparing them for publication. In fact Holst became so taken up with her work for Britten and the Festival, that her own composing became secondary. However, Holst's work as a conductor continued to grow. Around the same time that Holst met Britten, she founded the Purcell Singers and worked with other choirs. A performance of Bach鈥檚 St. John鈥檚 Passion earned her widespread respect and admiration.

Imogen Holst, arr. Arthur Keegan
Weathers
Lotte Betts-Dean, mezzo-soprano
James Girling, guitar

Cinquepace (Suite for Viola)
Rosalind Ventris, viola

As I sat under a Holly Tree
Blossom Street
Hilary Campbell, director

A Hymne to Christ
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
Graham Ross, director

Variations on 鈥淟oth to Depart鈥�
大象传媒 Concert Orchestra
Alice Farnham, conductor

The fall of the leaf
Steven Isserlis, cello

Festival Anthem 鈥淗ow Manifold are Thy Works鈥�
大象传媒 Singers
大象传媒 Concert Orchestra
Alice Farnham, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock