PROGRAM NOTES

Second Suite in F

Gustav Holst’s Suite in F for military band, is a landmark composition that revolutionised the wind band repertoire. Written in 1911, the suite consists of four movements that draw inspiration from English folk songs and dances. The “March,”utilises the folk tunes, Swansea Town, Claudy Banks and a morris dance - Glorishears. The second movement, “Song Without Words, I’ll Love My Love” is contrasted by the rhythmic scherzo, “Song of the Blacksmith”. In the final movement, “Fantasia on the Dargason,” based on the Dargason dance, Holst cleverly weaves Greensleeves into the Fantasia. Holst’s Suite in F transformed the wind band repertoire by elevating the status of the ensemble from a mere provider of entertainment to a serious artistic medium. Through his use of inventive orchestrations, complex harmonies, and a wide range of expressive moods, Holst demonstrated the full potential of the wind band as a vehicle for artistic expression.