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Who is Gustav Holst?

Gustav Holst was a composer from Britain.

He was born in Cheltenham in 1874 and died in 1934 while living in London.

A composer is a person who makes music. You can make music about lots of different things. It can be about animals, a picture or to tell a story.

Holst was a very interesting man. As well as being a composer and musician, he was very interested in space and religion.

What music did he make?

Holst made lots of different music. Sometimes, the music was for one or two musicians to play on a piano and violin.

Sometimes, the music was for lots of musicians performing together in an orchestra. He also composed lots of songs for musicians to sing on their own and together in a choir.

One of Holst's most famous pieces of music is called 'The Planets'.

Watch - Mars by Gustav Holst

'The Planets' is seven different pieces of music. Each piece is about a planet! It's performed by an orchestra.

Listen carefully as the orchestra play 'Mars'. Did you know that the planet Mars is named after the Roman god of war?

Holst's 'Mars' sounds like music for soldiers to march to as a great battle is about to begin!

The Ancient Romans named the planets after Roman gods and goddesses.

Venus was the Roman goddess of love and Mars was the Roman god of war.

Holst used his music to describe these ideas to his audiences.

You can find out more about Mars and Gustav Holst with Ten Pieces.

Glossary

Here's the meaning to some important words.

Composer - Somebody who makes music.
Orchestra - A group of musicians performing together.
Choir - A group of singers performing together.

Activities

Listening challenge

Listen again to the orchestra playing 'Mars' and see if you can answer these questions.

• What different instruments can you hear?
• How are the musicians playing their instruments? Are they loud, quiet, smooth or spiky?
• How does the music make you feel?

Imagine you are going to compose a piece of music about one of the planets.

• Which planet would you choose and why?
• What instruments would you use?
• How would it sound?

Quiz