Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst, composer of The Planets was born in an ordinary Cheltenham townhouse in a musical family. His grandfather was originally from Latvia and after living in London came to Cheltenham as a music teacher. Gustav's father Adolph was the organist at All Saints Church, where the young Gustav sang and also played the organ. Educated at Cheltenham Grammar School, Gustav remained in the town until he left for London to study at the Royal College of Music in 1893., Holst introduced new ideas to his music, such as Hindu culture, folksong and, most famously, astrology in his masterpiece The Planets. The melody from Jupiter was used for the hymn I Vow to Thee My Country and, together with his setting of the the In the Bleak Midwinter, remains his most famous piece of music. Cheltenham honoured its famous son in 1927 with a festival of his music at the Town Hall. He described this as 'the most overwhelming event of my life'., Gustav Holst Memorial Fountain , Crested by Cheltenham Civic Society, in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council , Presented to the people of Cheltenham in April 2008 to celebrate, for the first time in a public place, Cheltenham's most famous and respected son., Holst Birthplace Museum , Step inside the Holst Birthplace Museum and see the piano Holst used to compose The Planets. Discover why he liked its 'light-touch'. Find out how he developed into a world-class composer by examining and listening to original manuscripts written when he was a schoolboy. Experience what life was like for his modest middle class family though Victorian rooms. Imagine Cheltenham's Regency past in the only Regency room open to the public the town. Picture your Victoria child as you play in the nursery. Lose yourself as you to the opening bars of Mars..., Imperial Gardens , Imperial Gardens are now a public open space, owned by Cheltenham Borough Council on behalf of the town. Originally laid out for the exclusive use of subscribers to the Sherborne or Imperial Spa, which stood on the site of the Queen's Hotel between 1818 and 1837, the gardens also served as a Botanic Garden and Nursery Ground., In 1878 the large glass and cast iron Winter Garden was built in the central part of the gardens, adjacent to which the Town Hall was opened in 1903. A bandstand was added to the gardens in 1920. The Winter Garden was demolished during the Second World War, when the historic iron railings surrounding the gardens were also removed as part of the war effort.The bandstand was removed in 1948 and its site is now occupied by the Holst statue., Today the Council is responsible for the magnificent annual floral displays In the Gardens which use approximately 25,000 bedding plants.