Gustav Holst

Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), of Scandinavian ancestry on his father's side, was born in the English spa town of Cheltenham in 1874 and studied music at the Royal College in London, using his second study, the trombone, to provide an income. He later became director of music at St. Paul's Girls' School, retaining this connection until the end of his life. His music had a variable reception in his life-time, but he exercised a strong influence on later English composers.