The Holst Archive

The Holst archive primarily comprises the personal papers and music manuscripts of Imogen Holst - amassed by her throughout her life - but also includes some important papers and music manuscripts of her father, Gustav Holst. The archive documents many aspects of Imogen Holst’s wide-ranging achievements as composer and arranger of folksongs, editor and promoter of her father’s music, and conductor and writer.

Amongst Imogen Holst’s papers are found her diaries and journals as well as letters from many eminent composers including Lennox Berkeley and her teacher Ralph Vaughan Williams. From the age of nineteen Holst pasted a mass of photographs, postcards, letters, press cuttings and programmes into scrapbooks and these now form a colourful illustration of her life and work.

As well as Imogen Holst’s own music manuscripts there are found amongst her papers music manuscripts by other composers sent to her for performance or comment. These include works by Malcolm Williamson, Elizabeth Maconchy and film composer James Bernard who studied under Holst at the Royal College of Music.

The Holst archive is now owned and administered by the Britten - Pears Foundation, having been donated by the Holst Foundation in 2007, Imogen Holst's centenary.

A more detailed description of the Holst archive can be found on the Britten - Pears Foundation website. A full catalogue of the collection will appear in the online archive catalogue as cataloguing work progresses. Please contact the Archivist, Judith Ratcliffe, for more information.