First Suite in E♭

First Suite in E♭ (1909) by English composer Gustav Holst (1874– 1934) has left an indelible mark on band musicians and audiences around the world. Its appeal is in its simplicity and its artistry. While there are difficult passages and exposed solo work in many instruments, it places few extreme demands on the players, and it uses a straightforward and easily identifiable theme throughout its three movements. Yet this theme is turned and pulled into many different forms, and put on an emotional roller-coaster of doubts, sweet reveries, ecstatic joy, and triumph. (Source: Wind Band Literature by Andy Pease)