Gustav Holst, Esq.

St. Paul's Girls’ School

Brook Green,

HAMMERSMITH

Dear Mr. Holst.

This corporation is anxious, in the interest of Military Band music, to do everything possible to procure as wide a field as possible for such activities, believing that in its military band, the B.B.C. possesses as good a combination of that order as exists anywhere. The Corporation is desirous of developing the Band's potentialities to the fullest possible extent, especially in the direction of finding for it as wide a range of material as possible; at present the Band is hampered by the very limited repertoire suitable.

With this in view we are asking one or two of the foremost British composers of today to write specifically for Military Band, feeling that thus we may make musicians realise how real a future there is for such music.

May we ask you how you would view a request from us to compose for Military Band a piece in one movement, lasting from twelve to fifteen minutes in performance, in the form of a Concert Overture, or Fantasy, or Symphonic Poem?

On hearing from you, as we hope to do, that you view the proposal at this stage with favour, we can go into the question of copyright terms, etc.