Despite the huge success of ‘The Planets’, Gustav Holst has always been hard to pin down. His fascinating life story is full of abrupt changes of direction, multiple influences and a vast breadth of inspiration. English folk music, oriental mysticism, the doctrines of William Morris – it’s all there, expressed in terms of glittering orchestration, warm melody, even touches of mesmerising modernism. ‘The Planets’ is only the tip of the iceberg.