Did You Know?
1. Holst was a lifelong friend of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who composed the ethereal violin piece The Lark Ascending.

2. Holst learned violin and piano at an early age, but because he was stricken with a nerve condition that affected the movement of his right hand, he gave up the piano for the trombone, which was less painful to play.

3. Many of Holst’s contemporaries saw the movement titled Mars—the Bringer of War as a reflection of the horrors seen in World War I, although Holst finished composing that movement just before World War I began.

4. Mercury—the Winged Messenger contains polyrhythms, in which some instruments play in 6/8 while others play in 2/4 simultaneously.

5. Holst became interested in Indian mysticism and spirituality, then taught himself basic Sanskrit so that he didn’t have to rely on the “substandard” translations of the day.

6. Holst’s Mars heavily influenced Hans Zimmer’s The Barbarian Horde for the film score to Gladiator.