He wrote operas, including Savitri 1908 and At the Boar's Head 1924; ballets; choral works, including Hymns from the Rig Veda 1908-12 and The Hymn of Jesus 1917; orchestral suites, including The Planets 1914-16; and songs. He was a lifelong friend of Ralph Vaughan Williams, with whom he shared an enthusiasm for English folk music. His musical style, although tonal and drawing on folk song, tends to be severe. He was the father of Imogen Holst (1907-...), musicologist and his biographer.
