When I was in high school, I played cornet in the wind ensemble. One of the pieces we learned has stuck with me over the years: Second Suite in F Major by Gustav Holst.

I still like this piece. I like the theme of the March, the ascending five notes and have used the beginning figuration many times over the years in improvs at church.

I was making hummus yesterday and put on my Holst playlist on Spotify. It starts with “Mars” from “The Planets” which i quite like and then moves on to this suite.

We are singing the hoary old choral anthem, “God so loved the world,” by John Stainer a week from Sunday. The gospel reading is John 3:16. There are several anthems based on this text, but this year I chose this one. Choir directors like myself are not in love with this piece, but choirs enjoy learning and singing it.

When we do it, I think of choirs in the Church of God I have heard sing it. It reminds me of my Dad.

I was trying to think of a good postlude that might match this eccentric anthem.

Then I remembered the Holst Suite March. Sure enough, I had printed out a condensed score version of it I found online (link to pdf).

I took it with me when I went to church to practice organ yesterday. I played through it a couple of times and quickly decided it would be my postlude for next Sunday.

I got started on putting it in Finale yesterday.

As far as I can tell, the copyright on this is old enough (1922) that I can share this here when I get it done.