Hidden in a Drawer: Gustav Holst’s Lost Manuscripts
9 July – 21 December 2022
Holst manuscripts on display for the first time in over a hundred years.
Visit Holst Victorian House to see two manuscripts by Gustav Holst (1874-1934), Folk Songs from Somerset and Two Songs Without Words on public display for the very first time. They were donated to the Museum in 2018 following their discovery in a drawer in New Zealand. No one knows how or why these precious scores ended up on the other side of the world. Both were considered lost, with Folk Songs From Somerset neither published nor performed since its premiere in Bath in 1906.
The manuscripts form part of an exhibition which explores Holst’s interest in folk music. Other significant items on display include photographs of Holst and his best friend and fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams – whose 150th centenary is being celebrated throughout 2022 – was a collector of folk song and also created many folk-inspired pieces.
Visitors can listen to new recordings of the lost pieces as well as hear other Holst folk compositions. There is also a chance for visitors to ‘post’ their ideas about how the manuscripts ended up in New Zealand using a special Airmail postcard. The Museum is keen to hear a variety of theories!
Part of the celebration of Ralph Vaughan Williams 150 years after his birth.
Included in the cost of General Admission
Book your visit here
