Somerset Rhapsody, A

Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (trans. Clare Grundman)

This work bears the designation Opus 21.

General Info

Year: 1906 / 1927 / 1980
Duration: c. 9:30
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium:' Orchestra
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $90.00   |   Score Only (print) - $12.50

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II (4 players suggested)
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Eb Soprano Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Bb Cornet I-II-III
Bb Trumpet I-II
Horns in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion (4-5 players), including:

• Bass Drum
• Cymbals (crash and suspended)
• Glockenspiel
• Snare Drum
• Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

A Somerset Rhapsody, Op. 21, was composed in 1906 and was dedicated to Cecil Sharp, the renowned collector of English folksong music. It is based on three tunes found among Sharp’s many collections: It’s a Rosebud in June, High Germany, and The Lover’s Farewell. It was rewritten and premiered at Queens Hall by conductor Edward Mason in April of 1910, and published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1927.

- Program Notes by Nikk Pilato

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

State Ratings

• Florida: V
• Georgia: V
• Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP I
• Kansas: V
• Louisiana: IV
• Maryland: V
• South Carolina: V
• Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (Mark Scatterday, conductor) – 18 October 2019
• Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble (Boston) (Michael Mucci, conductor)– 18 December 2018
• McGill University (Montreal, Que.) Wind Orchestra (Alain Cazes, conductor) – 2 November 2018
• Colorado (Denver) Wind Ensemble (David Kish, conductor) – 7 April 2018
• Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Wind Ensemble (Steven M. Knight, conductor) -29 November 2016
• Lexington (Mass.) Bicentennial Band (Jeffrey Leonard, conductor) – 31 January 2016
• California State University Symphonic Band (Nikk Pilato, conductor) - 15 March 2012

Works for Winds by this Composer

• Ave Maria (tr. Woodley) (1900)
• Brook Green Suite (tr. James 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 (arr. Longfield) (1909/2006)
• First Suite in E-flat for Military Band (ed. Fennell) (1909/2006)
• First Suite in E-flat Themes (arr. Sweeney) (1909/2007)
• A Fugal Overture (arr. Noble) (1922/2014)
• A Fugal Overture (trans. Ponto) (1922)
• Gustav Holst Band Classics (arr. Edwards) (2020)
• Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo (1930)
• Holst Suite (A) (trans. Thompson) (2018)
• 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 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 Hymn (arr. de Meij) (1916/1921/1990)
• Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (tr. McAlister; ed. Reed) (1916/2003)
• March from "First Suite for Military Band" (arr. Story) (2011)
• March from "Suite in Eb" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1909/2015)
• Marching Song (1906/1930)
• Marching Song (arr. Moss) (1906/2006)
• Mars (arr. Bocook) (1916/1998)
• Mars from "The Planets" (tr. Pay and Smith) (1916/1924)
• Mars (arr. Vinson) (1916)
• Moorside March (arr. Gordon Jacob)
• 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)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Fennell; score assembly Schissel) (1911/2006)
• Second Suite in F (ed. Matthews) (1911)
• Second Suite in F (adapt. Longfield) (1911/2007)
• A Somerset Rhapsody (tr. Clare Grundman) (1906/1927/1980)
• Song of the Blacksmith, The (arr. Loest) (1911/2011)
• Songs from the "Second Suite" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1911/2012)
• Songs of the West (arr. James Curnow) (1907/1986)
• Suite from "The Planets" (arr. Custer) (1916/1991)
• Suite from "The Planets" (arr. Vinson) (1916)
• Uranus (tr. Curnow) (1916/1991)
• Winter Suite
  • On This Day Earth Shall Ring (arr. Smith) (1924/2001)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Giroux) (1906/2018)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Smith) (1906/1992)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Stamp) (1906/1996)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr. Bullock) (1906)
  • Old Brenton Carol (arr. Smith) (1910/2001)

Resources

• Holst, G.; Grundman, C. [1980]. A Somerset Rhapsody [score]. Boosey & Hawkes: London.
• Holst, Imogen. (1938). Gustav Holst: A Biography. London: Oxford University Press.
• Holst, Imogen. (1984). The Music of Gustav Holst. London: Oxford University Press.