Sinfonia Viva – The Holsts: Father & Daughter

The Holsts: Father & Daughter
Saturday 21st March 2026, 7pm, Derby Cathedral

Elgar | Introduction & Allegro for Strings
Gustav Holst | St. Paul’s Suite   
Imogen Holst | Variations on Loth to Depart   
Imogen Holst | Allegro Assai 
Britten | Simple Symphony       
Imogen Holst | Festival Anthem    

Conductor | Alice Farnham
Chorus Director | Julian Wilkins
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir

Join us for a celebration of the musical legacy of the Holst family – both Gustav and his exceptionally talented and influential daughter, Imogen.

Imogen worked with Benjamin Britten to establish the longstanding Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk alongside her distinguished composing career. Tonight’s highlights are the folk and baroque–inspired Variations on Loth to Depart and the spectacular but rarely heard Festival Anthem, performed with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir.

From Gustav we have his St Paul’s Suite. Like Imogen’s Variations on Loth to Depart it’s based on English folk music, but it’s much more boisterous and dense – like the musical equivalent of eating a chocolate cake.

Topping off this evening of English string music we have music by Elgar and Britten, including the Playful Pizzicato from Britten’s Simple Symphony, with its ‘dum ti dum ti dum ti dum’  rhythm notably reminiscent of the theme music to The Archers.

Conductor Alice Farnham has long championed Imogen Holst. She recorded all the Imogen Holst pieces you’ll hear in this concert on the album Discovering Imogen with the BBC Concert Orchestra – so if you want to ‘try before you buy’, go and have a listen.

The performance of Festival Anthem is made possible with funding from the ABO Trust’s Sirens programme, a ten-year initiative to support the performance and promotion of music by historical women composers.

Tickets £35 (seats at the front of the Central Nave)/ £30/ £20/ £5 concessions*
Group Discount Book 10 or more tickets and save 10%

Multibuy discount ​Book 3 or more concerts in our ​25-26 Derby season and save 10% (discount will be applied automatically at checkout).

Book online or call Ticketsource on 0333 666 3366.

Running time: Approximately 2 hours including one interval

* Concessions apply for Under 18s, Students and those on Universal Credit or similar benefits such as Pension Credit, Jobseekers’ Allowance or Disability Benefit. Proof of eligibility may be requested.

Visit the Derby Cathedral website for information on the venue’s facilities and accessibility.