HOLST (Gustav T., 1874-1934, Composer)

Small collection of Two Autograph Letters signed in full to Mrs Bell, wife of the Bishop of Chichester, the first thanking her for a “delightful weekend and a promise of many more. Also please thank Mr Dunlop for the list. I sent him the Sacred Rounds - tell him not to write if they have arrived. I look forward to catching the 7.30 to Havant on March 7 and having a quiet talk with you and him if you can spare the time that night, then to Bothering Mr Dean on Sat. morning...”, the other thanks her for putting up “so many Paulinas. Could you fix on a price per head and let me know it by Monday... I think they ought to stay until Tuesday morning if you can bear with them for so long. As you are putting up so many do you not think I had better stay elsewhere? This year I want my wife to come and, if possible to be with me. Then I would like Miss Lashmer to be in the same house or, anyhow, as near as possible and also Miss Brockmar who is acting as secretary for me - she is one of the music staff here. Of course we should have loved to be in the Palace - it is a joyous place to be in! But we don’t want to presume too much on your generosity. As they will be doing most of the drudgery I think Misses Brockman and Lashmer ought to have free hospitality. My friend Mr Wyatt is coming from Worthing together with several others. As they will go back each evening I wonder whether those of us who have cars could stay there at night also if Chichester gets crowded. One of our players here, Miss Watt, has a) a car, b) a friend in Bosham. With the aid of both she is trying to arrange that a few sleep at Bosham. The competition here to be amonth the chosen 12 is going to be terrific!...” with a postscript that “Miss Watt may call this weekend with my care - you are not to see her if you’re busy. Otherwise I think you’ll like her. Also Mr and Mrs Masson may do the same later on. They will play oboe, come in their car and camp out...”, together 6 sides 8vo., St Paul’s Girl’s School headed paper, Hammersmith, 20th February and 19th March, together with an Autograph Letter Signed from his daughter Imogen HOLST (1907-1984, Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Teacher and Festival Administrator) saying that “this isn’t a thank you letter, because I. don’t know how to begin to thank you for last week-end. It was the very best Whitsun Festival there has ever been, and those of us who were privileged to stay in the Palace had a double dose of good fortune. Thank you for everything, including the panelling in Bishop Sherbourne’s room and the view from the Kitchen garden and the legendary Miss Last. My father is looking flourishing after his two days walk in Sussex (which seems to have consisted very largely of rides in other people’s cars, to say nothing of a couple of hours on the Southern Railway!). And he is already talking about his next visit to Chicester!...”, 3 sides 4to., 15 Queensberry Place, SW7, 12th June

George Kennedy Allen Bell (1883-1958) was an Anglican theologian, Dean of Canterbury, Bishop of Chichester, member of the House of Lords and a pioneer of the Ecumenical Movement. From 1925 to 1929, Bell was Dean of Canterbury. During this time, he initiated the Canterbury Festival of the arts, with guest artists such as John Masefield, Gustav Holst, Dorothy L. Sayers and T. S. Eliot.
Imogen spent most of the 1930s teaching, and as a full-time organiser for the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Item Date:  1930

Stock No:  42672      £1475

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