Brook Green Suite

Gustav Holst

General Info

Year: 1933 / 2006
Duration: c. 7:35
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: G. Schirmer, through Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts - $95.00 | Score Only - $19.99

Movements

1. Prelude – 1:30
2. Air – 2:50
3. Dance – 2:40

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbals
Orchestra Bells
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Triangle

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The Brook Green Suite for strings was written in 1933 during Gustav Holst's stay in the hospital (where he was to die in May 1934). It was written for his pupils, the junior orchestra at St Paul's Girls School; he wanted to write a piece in a contemporary, mature style that was easy enough for his pupils to perform, while he felt they deserved better than simple orchestrations from keyboard originals or 'watered down' pieces aimed at younger players. It was probably named after Brook Green because that was the location of his wedding to his wife, Isobel, in 1901.

Holst’s ability to develop and explore folk melodies with rich, lyrical treatment is fully realised in this example of the final phase of this remarkable composer’s career. This is a three-movement work; the smooth and peaceful Prelude, the expressive Air, and the sprightly Dance combine to create a truly enriching experience.

- Program Notes by Elin Thomas for the Ohlone Concert Band

Gustav Holst’s career fell into three phases: derivative composition, achievement of personal style, and musical maturity. His discovery of the English folk song began the gradual achievement of a distinct personal style, which led to performance of his music and an extended reputation. Brook Green Suite was composed after the success of his orchestral suite The Planets secured his fame, and it is one of his works that includes the use of a folk melody.

The suite was written for the St. Paul’s Junior String Orchestra at the St. Paul’s Girls School in Hammersmith, London, England, where Holst was teaching. The entire suite exhibits Holst’s melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and stylistic maturity at their highest level.

- Program Note from Appalachian State University Concert Band concert program, 25 April 2016

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band (Kazuyoshi Akiyama, conductor) – 2006

State Ratings

Louisiana: IV
North Carolina: IV
Texas: III. (Mvt 1 and one other)
Texas: IV. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Washington and Lee University (Lexington, Va.) Wind Ensemble (Christopher Dobbins, conductor) - 8 November 2021
Pomona (Calif.) College Band (Graydon Beeks, conductor) - 2 May 2020 (scheduled but not performed)
Torrey Pines High School (San Diego, Calif.) (Amy Gelb, conductor) – 29 October 2018
Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Concert Band (Matthew Brusseau, conductor) – 25 April 2016
Ohlone Concert Band (Fremont, Calif.) (Tony Clements, conductor) - 5 November 2014
Herscher (Ill.) High School Band - 2013

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Chaconne from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2016)
Fantasia on the "Dargason" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2013)
Intermezzo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2017)
Jupiter (arr. Deterling) (Flex instrumentation) (1916/2020)
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1916/2020)
March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2010)
March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
March from Second "Suite in F Major" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1911/2018)
March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
Mars (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2009)
A Moorside March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wright; ed. M. Brand) (1928/2021)
Songs from the "Second Suite" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2012)
Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2018)

All Wind Music

Ave Maria (tr. Woodley) (1900)
Bach's Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Brand). See: Fugue à la Gigue
Bach's Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Mitchell) (1707/1928/2005)
Brook Green Suite (tr. Curnow) (1933/2006)
Capriccio (tr. Boyd) (1932/1967/1974)
Capriccio (arr. Paul Noble) (1932/1967/2019)
Chaconne from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2016)
Chorale from Jupiter (arr. James Curnow)
Christmas Day (arr. Daehn) (1910/2011)
Christmas Day (arr. Beringen) (1910/2010)
Country Song (arr. Klein) (1906)
Dance of the Spirits of Fire (trans. Harpham) (1918/1922/1971)
Dirge for Two Veterans
Fantasia on the "Dargason" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2013)
Fantasia on the "Dargason" (arr. Story) (1911/2000)
First Suite in E-flat (1909/1921)
First Suite in E-flat (ed. Matthews) (1909/1921/1984)
First Suite in E-flat (ed. Ito) (1909/2011)
First Suite in E-flat (arr. Longfield) (1909/2006)
First Suite in E-flat for Military Band (ed. Fennell) (1909/2006)
First Suite in E-flat Themes (arr. Sweeney). See: Themes from "First Suite in E-flat"
A Fugal Concerto (arr. Brand) (1923/1993?)
A Fugal Overture (arr. Noble) (1922/2014)
A Fugal Overture (trans. Ponto) (1922)
Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Brand) (1707/1928/2008)
Fugue à la Gigue (as arranger; ed. Mitchell). See: Bach's Fugue à la Gigue
Gustav Holst Band Classics (arr. Edwards) (2020)
Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo (1930)
A Holst Suite (trans. Thompson) (2018)
Hymns from the Rig Veda (tr. Windram, ed. Mitchell) (1908/1917/2017)
I Vow to Thee, My Country (setting Vaughan Williams; ed. Grechesky) (1921/1988)
I Vow to Thee, My Country (arr. Knorr) (1921/2017)
Illumination (arr. Gene Milford)
In the Bleak Midwinter. See: Winter Suite
Intermezzo (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2017)
Japanese Suite (adapt. Boyd) (1915/1982/1999)
Jupiter (arr. Deterling) (Flex instrumentation) (1916/2020)
Jupiter from "The Planets" (arr. Pay and Smith) (1916/1924)
Jupiter from "The Planets" (arr. Branchfield) (1916/2014)
Jupiter (arr. Brown) (1916)
Jupiter (tr. Curnow) (1916/1990)
Jupiter (arr Hurt) from "The Planets" (arr. Hurt) (1916)
Jupiter (arr. Owens) (1916/2006)
Jupiter Hymn (arr. de Meij) (1916/1921/1990)
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1916/2020)
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (tr. McAlister; ed. Reed) (1916/2003)
March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2010)
March from "First Suite for Military Band" (arr. Story) (2011)
March from "First Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
March from Second "Suite in F Major" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1911/2018)
Marching Song (1906/1930)
Marching Song (arr. Moss) (1906/2006)
Marching Song (ed. Reynish) (1906/1983)
Mars (arr. Bocook) (1916/1998)
Mars (arr. Owens) (1916/2009)
Mars from "The Planets" (tr. Pay and Smith) (1916/1924)
Mars, from "The Planets" (tr. Singleton) (1916/2001)
Mars (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2009)
Midwinter (arr. Phillips) (2012)
Moorside March (arr. Jacob) (1928/1960)
A Moorside March (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Wright; ed. M. Brand) (1928/2021)
A Moorside Suite (arr. Wright)
Morris Dance Tunes (arr. Wagner) (1910/2010)
On This Day the Earth Shall Ring (arr. Smith) (2001)
The Perfect Fool (arr. Short) (1922/2005)
The Planets (tr. Inagaki) (1916)
The Planets (tr. Janssen) (1916/2017)
The Planets (tr. Patterson) (1916)
The Planets (arr. Schrijvers) (1916/2005)
The Planets (tr. Vives) (1916/2007?)
Planets, The (tr. Smith) (1916/1921)
Scherzo (tr. Patterson) (1933/2021)
Second Suite in F (ed. Fennell; score assembly Schissel) (1911/2006)
Second Suite in F (arr. Johnston) (1911/2011)
Second Suite in F (ed. Matthews) (1911)
Second Suite in F (ed. Neumann) (1911)
Second Suite in F (ed. Ito) (1911/1922/2012)
Second Suite in F (adapt. Longfield) (1911/2007)
A Somerset Rhapsody (tr. Clare Grundman) (1906/1927/1980)
The Song of the Blacksmith (arr. Loest) (1911/2011)
Songs from the "Second Suite" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2012)
Songs of the West (arr. James Curnow) (1907/1986)
St. Paul's Suite (arr. Sparke) (1912-1913/2017)
Suite from "The Planets" (arr. Custer) (1916/1991)
Suite from "The Planets" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1916/2018)
Themes from "First Suite in E-flat" (arr. Sweeney) (1909/2006)
Two Songs Without Words (arr. Erickson) (1906/1996)
Uranus (tr. Curnow) (1916/1991)
Winter Suite
- On This Day Earth Shall Ring (arr. Smith) (1924/2001)
- In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Bullock) (1906/1996)
- In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Giroux) (1906/2018)
- In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Smith) (1906/1992)
- Old Brenton Carol (arr. Smith) (1910/2001)

Resources

Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "Gustav Holst." Accessed 21 August 2022.
Holst, G.; Curnow, J. (1934/2005). Brook Green Suite [score]. G. Schirmer: New York.