Imogen Holst

[Lisajj]

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

We are trying to see if there’s any substance in the claim that a now deceased family member actually did have piano lesson from Imogen Holst, the daughter of composer Gustav Holst.

The family member lived in Thaxted between 1940 and 1968.
We know Gustav died in 1934 but I also know his widow, Isobel Holst, lived in Thaxted after his death, during the 1950’ and until she died in 1969.
Daughter Imogen didn’t live in Thaxted during the 1949 - 1968 time period, but did she stay with her mother? I can’t find anything, but know that there maybe someone on here who either knows Thaxted history exceptionally well, or has lots of in depth knowledge on Imogen Holst,or can find things on the internet better than I can!

Is there anything anywhere that could actually show that Imogen Holst really did give music lessons in Thaxted during the time window I have?

Good luck

[Ruskie]

I don’t have access to newspapers so can’t help, but that might be a place to start. She may have been advertising lessons.

[maddys52]

I doubt if she was giving piano lessons, or at least not advertising for students as she was a celebrated conductor in her own right. 

She was in Thaxted though in June 1964 for the Thaxted Music Festival, orgainised by the music department of Morley College.
Saturday,  June 20, 1964
Publication: The Times

[Neale1961]

Imogen did quite a bit of teaching in the 1930s.
When was your family member born?

[HughC]

Is there evidence that Imogen lived in Thaxted?
I met her once, at my uncle's house in Snape and assumed she was local.
It's likely that she would be in Aldeburgh (or at the Snape maltings) for the festival,
but it was the wrong time of year for that.

She was very keen on getting children involved in making music,
and interested in instruments they could make themselves,
possibly tubular bells cut from pieces of pipe.

[Lisajj]

Thanks for the replies so far.
My family member was born 1940 and lived in Thaxted until the early 60’s.
Imogen lived in Thaxted as a child - she’s with her mum on the 1921 census.
Her mum continued to live there, although I know Imogen moved about until she settled in Aldenurgh.
I wondered if she may have stayed with her mum for a short time and possibly gave some sort of music lessons at the time. Possible through the local school?
I’m just trying to see if the story is viable or whether there’s some truth. I know her mum was a singer but maybe it was her who gave the lessons? But there seems to be very little about Mrs Holst.

[maddys52]

Maybe your relative was involved in the music festival in 1964?

[Lisajj]

She was married in 1962 and had moved away.
She always talked about it in her childhood memories.

Maybe we will never know, just another enigma!
:-)

[Tabbicat26]

Two small bits of information which might help you:

In 1931 Imogen took charge of the music at Citizen House Arts and Education Centre in Bath. 

In 1942 she moved from Bath to Dartington Hall near Totnes in Devon and stayed there until 1951 then moved to Aldeburgh in 1952, which is where she died.

I would imagine that Imogen made frequent visits to Thaxted to see her widowed mother so could well have taught your relative, even if only intermittently.

Alternatively, to a young child such as your relative would have been at the time, the name Imogen was possibly unfamiliar and therefore easily confused with Mrs Holst's name of Isobel!

I wish you well with your searches, please post the results if they have a successful outcome!