JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN BAND AND

ORCHESTRA DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION

VICTORIAN BRANCH INCORPORATED
NO. A0032142 1 ISSN 1325-5436
PP 332/00035 ABN: 15 0442 52 476

Variations in Performance Practice and

Editions in Holst’s First Suite in Eb
Part 3
By Andrew Mathers
President, ABODA Victoria
Listed below is a chart of approximate tempi of the movements of a number of commercially available
recorded versions. Recordings made in the 1990s all use the Matthews edition. Earlier recordings use the
1948 score, with modifications. Tempi are shown in metronome markings:
Ensemble Conductor Chaconne Intermezzo March
Cleveland Sym Winds (USA) 1978 F. Fennell 92 144 132
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orch (Japan) (Live) 1982 F. Fennell 84 – 88 144 138
Dallas Wind Symphony (USA) 1991 H. Dunn 84 – 88 152 – 160 116 – 126
Eastman Wind Ens (USA) (Live) 1990 D. Hunsberger 96 – 104 152 – 160 138
Eastman Wind Ens (USA) 1955 F. Fennell 92 – 104 154 144 – 152
Keystone Wind Ens (USA) 1999 J. Stamp 96 – 104 148 – 154 138 – 148
Royal Northern Coll Wind Orch (UK) 1999 T. Reynish 84 – 92 138 – 148 126 – 130
Royal Air Force Band (UK) 1984 E. Banks 100 – 108 138 – 144 120
London Wind Orch (UK) 1978 D. Wick 100 – 116 144 120

All of the bands featured here are small in size, leisurely tempo in the Chaconne, and the Dallas
particularly by US standards. On the evidence of the Wind Symphony, who take a tempo for the March
above recordings (as well as anecdotal evidence), it slower than the other American bands and as slow
would appear that the British bands play the as the British bands. Three of the recordings are by
Chaconne marginally faster and the March (third the same conductor, Frederick Fennell (Eastman
movement) and Intermezzo slower than the US Wind Ensemble – 1955, Cleveland Symphonic
bands. This would appear to back up anecdotal Winds – 1978, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra –
reports, particularly with regard to the Intermezzo, 1982). All of Fennell’s recordings give great
where a “traditional” British interpretation would be prominence to the bass drum (particularly the
slower, with more focus on the lyrical elements of Cleveland version). The American (and Japanese)
the music. Similarly, by tradition, a British march is recordings all use a larger bass drum than the
taken no faster than minim = 120, slower than the British recordings, which tend to prefer a military
American march tempo of minim = 132. The size bass drum. The larger bass drum adds to the
exceptions here are the Royal Northern College of excitement of the performance, but cannot be
Music Wind Orchestra, who take a very lyrical and
This is an extract from the ABODA Journal INTERLUDE.
ABODA Victoria. PO Box 927, Eltham, Victoria 3095 www.aboda-vic.org.au

described as being “authentic” to the British
military band. Both the Cleveland and London
Wind Orchestra versions have great character,
owing to the quality of their wind soloists
(professional symphony players). The Dallas, the
Tokyo Kosei, the Royal Air Force, and the
Keystone versions represent recordings of
professional wind bands. Although the character of
individual soloists is not in the same class as the
aforementioned recordings, the quality of the
ensemble playing is high. All of the Eastman
versions and the Royal Northern College recordings
represent performances by fine university level
players.
Two of the recordings are live performances.
Fennell’s Japan recording has an unusual
mannerism at the start of the March, where the
tempo begins slowly, gathering speed over the first
4 bars, before settling into the tempo listed above. It
is not known why this interpretative decision was
taken, and no other precedents for this can be found.
Holst’s First Suite is nowadays performed
principally using the 1984 Colin Matthews edition.
A number of older bands with long-established
libraries still use the 1948 score. Even Frederick
Fennell, however, who recorded the First Suite
three times prior to the publication of the 1984
edition, acknowledged the many weaknesses of the
1948 score (see Fennell 1993: 147). Also, conductor
Budd Udell who wrote prior to the publication of
the 1984 edition, urged for the omission of the
added instruments in performances of the First
Suite (see Udell 1982: 60).
Although it is not know for certain for what reason
or occasion Holst composed the First Suite, its
status as one of the most performed works for wind
band is confirmed (see Battisti 1995: 49). Although
wind bands in the United States developed out of
the model provided by British bands, the
instrumentation for American bands became much
larger and more varied than their British
counterparts. This led to the publication of
additional parts for the First Suite, and, lacking the
manuscript score for guidance, the publication of
the 1948 score to cater for larger wind bands.
JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN BAND AND
ORCHESTRA DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION
VICTORIAN BRANCH INCORPORATED
NO. A0032142 1 ISSN 1325-5436
PP 332/00035 ABN: 15 0442 52 476
Following the re-discovery of the manuscript score,
a new edition was prepared and published in 1984
to reflect the spirit of the manuscript, while
updating the scoring to reflect contemporary wind
band practices. Even allowing for variations in
editions used, there do appear to be differences in
the character of recorded performances by British
and American bands, reflecting differences in
performance practice.
It remains to be seen if this 1984 edition remains the
‘last word’ in editions of the First Suite. In time, the
instrumentation of wind bands may evolve to
contain new instruments that will require a new
edition to enable the work to be performed.
Alternatively, an ‘authenticity’ movement may arise
in the wind band world, which may see the
publication and eventual performance of Holst’s
original manuscript, using the instrumentation
specified by Holst in 1909.
Bibliography
Battisti, Frank
1995 The Twentieth Century American Wind Band/Ensemble.
Fort Lauderdale, Meredith Music Publications.
Fennell, Frederick
1993 ‘The Holst Suite in Eb’ in Conductors Anthology
Northfield, Illinois, The Instrumentalist Co., 140-147.
Fennell, Frederick
1954 Time and the Winds Kenosha, Wisconsin, G. Leblanc
Corporation.
Holst, Gustav
1909 First Suite in Eb for Military Band Op. 28 No.1
Autograph Manuscript Score. British Library, London
(unpublished) MS. H.10255.
Holst, Gustav
1948 First Suite in Eb for Military Band Op. 28 No.1 Full
Score. London, Boosey and Hawkes. (editor not listed)
Holst, Imogen
1969 Gustav Holst – A Biography London, Oxford
University Press.
Holst, Imogen
1974 Holst. The Great Composers London, Faber and Faber.
Matthews, Colin, ed
1984 First Suite in Eb for Military Band Op. 28 No.1 Revised
Full Score based on Holst’s autograph manuscript.
London, Boosey and Hawkes.
Miles, Richard, ed
1997 Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Vol.1
Chicago, GIA Publications, Inc.
 JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN BAND AND
ORCHESTRA DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION
VICTORIAN BRANCH INCORPORATED
NO. A0032142 1 ISSN 1325-5436
PP 332/00035 ABN: 15 0442 52 476

Mitchell, Jon C
1982 ‘Early Performances of the Holst Suites for Military
Band.’ in Journal of Band Research vol 17 No.2,
Spring, 44-50.
Short, Michael
1990 Gustav Holst – The Man and his Music Oxford, Oxford
University Press.
Udell, Budd
1982 ‘Standard works for band: Gustav Holst’s First Suite in
Eb Major for military band’ in Music Educators
Journal December 1982, 27-60.
Whitwell, David
1985 A Concise History of the Wind Band Northridge,
California, WINDS.
Discography
All listed performances are of the Holst First Suite in Eb
Banks, Eric (conductor). Royal Air Force Central Band.
1988 Music for Concert Band – British Composers Sound
Recording. EMI Classics CDM 5 65122 2. Compact
Disc.
Dunn, Howard (conductor). Dallas Wind Symphony.
1991 Holst – Dallas Wind Symphony Sound Recording.
Reference Recordings RR-39CD. Compact Disc.
Fennell, Frederick (conductor). Eastman Wind Ensemble.
1999 Holst Suites/Vaughan Williams/La Fiesta Mexicana
Sound Recording. Mercury 289 462 960-2. Compact
Disc.
Fennell, Frederick (conductor). Cleveland Symphonic Winds.
1978 The Cleveland Symphonic Winds – Holst/Handel/Bach
Sound Recording. Telarc CD-80038. Compact Disc.
Fennell, Frederick (conductor). Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.
1996 Frederick Fennell and Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
Sound Recording. Kosei Publishing Company KOCD-
3503. Compact Disc.
Hunsberger, Donald (conductor). Eastman Wind Ensemble.
1992 Live in Osaka – Eastman Wind Ensemble Sound
Recording. Sony SK 47198. Compact Disc.
Reynish, Timothy (conductor). Royal Northern College of
Music Wind Orchestra.
1999 British Wind Band Classics Sound Recording. Chandos
9697. Compact Disc.
Stamp, Jack (conductor). Keystone Wind Ensemble.
1999 Holst/Vaughan Williams/Jacob Sound Recording.
Citadel CTD 88137. Compact Disc.
Wick, Denis (conductor). London Wind Orchestra.
1978 Wind Music of Holst and Vaughan Williams Sound
Recording. ASV ACA 1002. Compact Disc.