Old Brenton Carol (from the Holst Winter Suite): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Gustav Holst / setting by Robert W. Smith
Grade: 3 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0002200
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Description
This tender Holst melody has been magnificently scored to be performed independently as a beautiful serence carol or in conjunction with the other movements of The Holst Winter Suite for Band. The first movement, On This Day Earth Shall Ring (BD00972), was completed last year. The second movement is In the Bleak Midwinter (BD00972). With this final movement complete, the finished suite is a welcome addition to modern band literature. (1:52)
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
83
SKU:
00-PK-0002200
More about this title
About the Composer: Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) shaped British music education and concert repertoire through his prolific compositions and his decades teaching at St. Paul's Girls' School in London. His gift for melody, evident in works like The Planets and his numerous band suites, made him a foundational voice in 20th-century instrumental literature. Holst's pieces remain central to school music programs worldwide because they balance accessibility with artistic substance, offering students genuine musical content rather than simplification.
Why we love this
Robert W. Smith's arrangement preserves the carol's serene character while writing idiomatically for concert band, with transparent scoring that lets the melody breathe across the ensemble. This piece fills a real repertoire need: a Grade 3 carol that avoids sentimentality and works equally well as a standalone winter concert moment or as the contemplative finale to the complete Holst Winter Suite.
What to expect
A quiet moment of reflection, unhurried and warmly lyrical. The melody unfolds with the intimacy of a carol sung indoors on a winter evening, supported by harmonies that suggest tradition without feeling archaic.
Who it's for
This arrangement serves concert bands working at Grade 3 level who want to program meaningful Christmas or winter concert music without sacrificing musical sophistication. It is also ideal for conductors building a complete Holst Winter Suite program, since it works both independently and as the concluding movement of the cycle.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the exposed melody line so it floats above the harmonic foundation; avoid letting accompanying voices overshadow the tune's gentle contour.
- Observe the marked tempo carefully to maintain the serene quality—rushing undermines the carol's reflective nature.
- Shape the dynamics with restraint; the piece speaks through understatement rather than broad gestures.
- If performing all three movements of the suite, ensure consistent articulation and vibrato approach across conductors' rehearsals so the full arc reads as unified.
How to use it
Place this as a closing piece on a winter or holiday concert to give audiences a contemplative, elegant final impression. Alternatively, program it as the third movement when performing the complete Holst Winter Suite, allowing the arc from festive opening through bleak midwinter to peaceful closure to shape the full concert experience.
Skills your students will build
- Sustained legato phrasing across phrase lengths typical of vocal melody
- Dynamic control and restraint in ensemble balance
- Reading through Grade 3 concert band scoring with independent part assignments
- Sensitivity to period style and Holst's characteristic harmonic language