Gustav Holst's Moorside Suite was the first significant twentieth century work composed specifically for brass band. Holst composed it for the 1928 National Brass Band Championships, eager to explore the possibilities of the medium, which he found less restrictive than the military band (for which he had already written his Suites in E flat and F). The result is a lively and elegant work that has remained in the brass band repertory ever since.

The Scherzo movement of this work has a reserved exuberance and is reminiscent of Holst's earlier work, "Fantasy on the Dargason" from the Second Suite. The jig-like opening theme, introduced by the trumpet line, is skillfully handed down through the sections as the harmonic complexity of the movement builds. A hunting horn call from the French horn line is answered by a seemingly distant fanfare of trumpets. As the jig returns, it is passed from the lower brasses upward, then unwinds back down through the sections to the tuba, which ends the musical statement with a clarity that is characteristic of Holst's work.

The haunting melody of the Nocturne is carried by a solo trumpet and gives a feeling of melancholy and longing. As the trombone line adds a countermelody and then echoes the opening trumpet theme, the lyrical quality of this movement echoes the sweetness of the "Venus" section of Holst's The Planets. The stately trumpet and French horn lines are supported by a walking bass in the lower brasses which then carry the reprise of the trumpet solo to an harmonically rich conclusion. The trumpet fanfare that opens the March section of this work is made even more brilliant than it might be by the rapid-fire snare drum line which exactly matches the rhythm of the trumpet line. Suddenly, the March comes to an abrupt halt and changes character from a lively two-step to a stately processional, then builds to a smashing finale ablaze with cymbal crashes and thunderous bass drum strikes.

First played by each of the 15 bands competing at the National Brass Band Championships of 1928, the Moorside Suite is not only an excellent test piece for brass band but is a lyrical and musically challenging foundation stone of brass band repertoire.

© All Music Guide