Imogen Holst

A portrait of one of England's greatest composers. Winner of the Prix Italia.

Gustav Holst is an English composer best known for his The Planets suite. In this film, his daughter provides an informative and intimate portrait of the artist, his influences, and his creative process.This film examines the life of the artist through the loving eyes of his daughter, Imogen. She traces her father's story of art from his father, to explore their rich family history, from which Gustav gained his most direct inspiration. This is a must watch for any lover of music, a personal and moving story of a musical innovator.

The great composer of The Planets, Gustav Holst also taught himself Sanskrit, lived in a street of brothels in Algiers, cycled into the Sahara Desert, and allied himself during the First World War with a ‘red priest' who pinned on the door of his church "prayers at noon for the victims of Imperial Aggression". He hated the words used to his most famous tune "I Vow to Thee My Country" because it was the opposite of what he believed, and died before the age of 60 - broken and disillusioned.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Aldeburgh Festival and the opening by The Queen of the new concert hall at Snape.