I remember playing this piece my senior year of high school, this was our UIL piece. i had 1st part clarinet and worked really hard to get this piece under my fingers, staying late after school, getting to class early so i can practice, getting help from the other student that also had 1st part. I was finally able to play it but couldn’t play with the rest of the band the day of UIL because i got covid 2 days before… but it’ll always be a huge achievement that i was able to play the whole thing through. i miss being in band 💔

I PLAY CORNET SOLO RAAAAAH

The Chaconne goes right to my heart. I love how each variation is harmonized and orchestrated differently. And the March is exhilarating!

I'm one lucky amateur trumpet bastard who was able to play this at his dad's very last concert before retirement. Was super special to me then and even more now as he died unexpectedly less than a year later. I'll always miss his warm and soothing clarinet sound. But so thankfull for the opportunity!

I played this piece in the final concert for my Junior year. It was one of the best performances I have had. Little did I know, it was just the beginning of how overwhelmingly Maslanka and his music would inspire me. The following year, my high school wind ensemble (the top band, not a "true" wind ensemble, where there's one person to a part) was invited to be one of 50 bands across the nation to perform at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. Nearly 500 bands applied, but weren't chosen. Though we didn't play any Maslanka piece, that experience, and playing 5 of the most fun and difficult pieces I had played at the time, led to us to prepare to perform his Symphony no. 4 in our final concert. Which, if you haven't listened to it before, it is an absolutely insane piece, not only in how awesome it is, but how incredibly difficult, especially for a high school band. It is roughly 28 minutes long, no separate movements. There were a couple sections that we weren't even sure if we would be able to play them, but in rehearsal, we managed to make it happen. That performance we had was potentially the best performance of my career. We didn't play it perfectly, but we played it at a level I don't think any of us expected us to, and at many parts, ended up playing it to a level where we could express the emotions and the deep nuance in the music strongly, which for maslanka, can be rather difficult to do. I don't say any of this to bring glory to my high school, but I say this to express how it was almost supernatural, and to show how much we as an ensemble were deeply impacted by it. One rehearsal where my band teacher moved on to work only specific instruments, mostly woodwinds (I'm a trumpet player) on a specific section, I began to leave after I listened to the music just for a little bit. But on my way out, I had a sudden realization of just how incredibly beautiful the music was. I realized in that moment two things: Maslanka's Symphony 4, in my opinion, is a perfect representation of the overwhelming extravagance that can be expressed through music; it also made me realize that music must be something I continue to endeavor in, even if it is not my main focus in life. That moment is a lot of the reason why I strive to continue to play music still. I'm only a freshman in college now, but I imagine that these experiences aren't ones I will ever forget. And it all started with this piece here

I played this solo in sophomore year absolutely loved it

Rodriguez Kenneth Walker Jose Taylor Mary

Absolutely glorious! Playing this in my college wind ensemble on Trombone. Good stuff! 😎🥹👍🏻🫡

0:45 ss

There are more comments complaining about comments saying they played this in middle school than comment saying they played this in middle school. (Megalomania)

I have always loved Holst. It invokes incredible memories. From playing this in high school to present day. And yes, I still play. I'm on my third flute.

6:44

I play the tuba. I have to admit I had some difficulty with the Chaconne, and my favourite part is the march. Also, during the last school year, we played this, Vaughan Williams's sea songs, the orient express and metrognome. In the second term, to complement the repertoire for the 25+25 year anniversary concert of the 25th of April, we were to play one of the previously mentioned songs. We ended up playing the orient express, but this was the runner up in the election.

My husband (clarinet) and I (french horn) played these two Suites by Holst in our high school bands, he went on to play them in the county community band for years. We still listen, hum along, they bring joy every time. Holst and Vaughan- Williams were gifts from the universe.

Song of the Blacksmith was used as the theme to Issues and Answers (the forerunner of ABC's Sunday talk show This Week) for most of its later years.

Comfort of this music is off the charts

My high school played this my sophomore year... easy peasy. Then, we moved on to Maslanka's Symphony 8, my junior year.

Tuba 🔛🔝

Holst is and always be my favorite composer. I learned this piece in 9th grade for an outdoor composition and continue to try to break into my fb and Google accounts. 😢 I'm thoroughly completely with my accounts being so often raided by unknown entities.

As a high school student, this song was one of many to help me realize the beauty of wind orchestras. I will forever love this song. Conducting it is very fun too 😊

march: going into war, “let’s do this!” attitude song without words: realising how serious the situation really is, sadder attitude song of the blacksmith: “oh, screw it, we’re here already” type attitude, going headon into battle fantasia on the daragason: pure chaos descends, followed by a victory at the end

7:25

10:20

😊

Best Euphonium part ever written.

14:53

My great grandma Charlotte,,,,loll...Benefer would often be visited by Vaughn Williams in Kings Lynne. They would sing and confere about her songs and the folk songs she both collected and sang in her public house.

They played this at my sister’s grad ceremony labeled as holst’s second suite in F march I was like this is first suite not second

playing 2nd clarinet for this and it's probably the best thing i've played in high school so far

I love this suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams [orchestrated here by Gordon Jacob, passed away on the 8/6/1984 at the age of 88], especially I like the third movement called the March: Folk Songs From Somerset, which became a signature tune for a TV series called Farming Diary for Anglia TV. A great performance from Sir Neville Marriner [who would`ve been 100 on the 15/4/2024] conducting the Academy of St. Martin In The Fields. A Great Recording. 😊😇💯❤♋

Played this in HS Concert Band, 1970. As 1st chair Alto Sax. Wonderful memories.

This hit.

I’m in 8th grade and we are playing this for our high school band

1:50 Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo, and Euphonium nailed melodies

My mother and dad had the album and I loved listening to it as well.

First chair clarinet with the solo for my spring concert coming up. Gotta say I’m a lil nervy

This will be the last concert piece i ever play with all my best friends as a senior in highschool. Truly a beautiful end to our chapter in band.

It reminds me of Vaughn Williams in a way.

I am playing this in my band class rn, and i am finally getting recognized as a euphonium. Such a beautiful and heart-warming piece

My son Studied tuba and played in our county honor band. they played this in a regional band competition and he just nailed it. they won second place, and I'll always remember how how proud I was🤩🤩 He's now head of IT at a national Insurance company. Music should be an essential part of every child's education.

I played this in all state band and I was playing the contra alto clarinet so I love hearing the low brass and woodwinds blow the roof off this piece. It's so pretty all of the movements! I still love listening to this piece right now!

Played this in my 2006 high school band. It was my favourite piece.

I cry EVERYTIME I listen to this, I fell in love with this piece in 9th grade and every once in a while I’ll come back to listen to it. Full blast in my headphones the build up makes me sob

I played this last year in my wind ensemble and it was super fun! ( I played chimes and bells on this)

1:58 and 8:14

thank God I had awesome band directors and an absolutely phenomenal group of students to play this with in high-school, I miss it so much.

F horn at the end of part one, it’s just a bunch of F# octave jumps and then it’s F# to G and then E to G. It’s painful but so good. And part 2 is just horn central. Horn W

High school euphonium player here! We are playing the Chaccone for our spring concert and thinking about doing the March and Intermezzo for our next, and I couldn’t be more terrified/excited! So much euphonium sound in this piece-I love it. I’ve never played a solo before and even if it’s brief, I’m ecstatic. (6:42)

i’m playing timpani on this piece for my college’s symphonic band. i don’t know how to explain what this means but this piece, especially the first movement, is just so holst. i’m in love.

I'm playing this as a percussionist for All-county middle school band! I play the mallet solos!