Alice Farnham, celebrated for her innovative conducting and passion for elevating overlooked voices in classical music, has brought fresh attention to Imogen Holst, one of Britain’s most significant yet underappreciated composers. Through the album “Discovering Imogen”, Farnham, alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers, revives some of Holst’s most captivating works, including several that have never been recorded before. This project is released under NMC Recordings, a label with a history of promoting British composers, to which Holst herself contributed significantly.

Holst, often overshadowed by her famous father Gustav Holst, was a formidable artist in her own right. Her compositions reveal a unique blend of French Impressionism and English folk traditions, with a distinct love of dance that permeates her music. Farnham’s dedication to this project shines through in pieces like Persephone (1929), which evokes rich, pictorial imagery, and the Festival Anthem (1946), a choral work challenging yet rewarding for its performers. Both pieces feature in this album, marking a historical moment as they are recorded for the first time​ (Gramophone)​ (MVD Shop).

For Farnham, this recording is deeply personal. She emphasizes the joy and positivity that pulses through Holst’s music, particularly in the way it connects to her love of dance and her influence on British music education and folk traditions ​(Gramophone). Farnham’s career as a conductor has often focused on bringing lesser-known works to the forefront, and this project represents her continued advocacy for women composers whose legacies deserve greater recognition.

Discovering Imogen is a critical step in ensuring Holst’s compositions, once left forgotten in drawers, are celebrated by contemporary audiences​ (AllMusic). As Farnham states, the works on this album are a testament to Holst’s innovative spirit and lasting influence on British music.

Discover more about Alice Farnham’s illustrious career here.