Holst Lyric Movement for Viola and Small Orchestra

Holst: Lyric Movement H. 191 for Viola and Small Orchestra (New Edition)

The Lyric Movement is one of the small number of pieces written specifically for viola and orchestra that have earned a permanent place in the instrument's repertoire. Holst wrote it in 1933, the year before his death, and it shows him at his most introspective: harmonically subtle, chamber-like in texture, and built around a long, singing viola line that explores the instrument's full expressive range. This is a new edition prepared from the original score, not a transcription or arrangement.

The scoring for small orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Strings) gives the piece a transparency that suits its character. The wind instruments are used with restraint, adding colour rather than weight, and the overall texture stays intimate throughout even as the music grows in intensity. The viola writing demands sustained, warm tone across the full range of the instrument, sensitivity to Holst's modal harmonic language, and the patience to sustain a twelve-minute musical argument without obvious structural landmarks. It's a piece that rewards a player who can trust the music to make its own case.

Paul Wood has prepared this edition directly from the original score, with clean, accurate engraving designed to be easy to read in both rehearsal and performance, for soloist and conductor alike.

At twelve minutes, it's a substantial work with the depth and weight to anchor a serious concert programme, and its relative rarity in performance makes it a distinctive choice.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Viola + Small Orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Strings)
• Original: Lyric Movement H. 191 (1933), Holst's own scoring for viola and small orchestra
• Difficulty: Diploma / Professional
• Duration: approximately 12 minutes
• Style focus: sustained lyrical playing, modal harmonic awareness, large-scale expressive range
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts
• Edition: newly engraved from the original score by Paul Wood

Who it's for

This suits advanced violists and conservatoire students at diploma level who want to perform a significant original work from the viola's own repertoire rather than a transcription of violin or cello music. It also works well for chamber orchestras with good wind players who want an intimate, serious programme piece outside the standard string orchestra repertoire.