Of the composers whose pieces the Tunkhannock High School Band has played, Gustav Holst is perhaps one of the most significant. With one of his earliest band arrangements dating to 1909, Holst’s music has left behind a legacy of its own, inside and out of the TAHS’s performances of his works. However, in order to discuss Holst’s legacy, his life must be explained first. Furthermore, the legacy of Holst’s music will also be examined, as well as the meaning and history behind the pieces in which the Tunkhannock High School Band has performed. Gustav Holst, born as Gustavus Theodore von Holst, was born on September 21st, 1874 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire-England. His father, Adolph, was a successful pianist and teacher of the instrument, but the constant practicing and …show more content…
Gustav’s mother, Clara, was one of Adolph’s piano students when the couple had first met. Holst’s mother was noted as “sweet, gentle and unassuming,” but she was also a fairly weak woman. She died shortly after the birth of her second child, leaving Holst without a mother at the age of 8. As a child, Gustav was incredibly sensitive and, to a certain degree, miserable. He suffered from poor eyesight, but his family was unaware of the child’s need for glasses. Holst also suffered from asthma, another health condition his family chose to minimally concern themselves with. His first instrument of practice was the violin, which he utterly hated. However, Holst did enjoy the piano and began to play as soon as his fingers could hit the keys. Though this instrument was more pleasurable to Holst,