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Home of renowned composer given listed status

Alice Cunningham
BBC News, Suffolk
Nigel Luckhurst/Historic England Imogen Holst is pictured in a black and white image. She looks over to her left to smile at the camera. Her hair is tied up behind her.Nigel Luckhurst/Historic England
Imogen Holst was a musician during the 20th Century and was also the artistic director of Aldeburgh Festival

The former home of a renowned composer and conductor has been protected with Grade II listed status.

Imogen Holst lived at 9 Church Walk in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, from 1964 until her death in 1984, and described the bungalow as "the loveliest house in the world".

She was the daughter of renowned composer Gustav Holst - known for his seven-movement orchestral suite The Planets.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, with the advice of Historic England, listed the home due to its architectural and historical significance.

Holst became Benjamin Britten's musical assistant - who was also from Suffolk - and in 1952 she was invited to help him as he worked on the opera Gloriana marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

She later became the artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival.

Historic England A view of the exterior of 9 Church Walk in Aldeburgh. It is a red brick bungalow which has faded. It has a black door and windows with lights on inside.Historic England
Nine Church Walk in Aldeburgh is open to the public during Heritage Open Days

Her Church Walk home was created by Jim and Betty Cadbury-Brown - designers for the 1951 Festival of Britain's Southbank site.

Her rent consisted of just a crate of wine for the couple at Christmas and a supply of Aldeburgh Festival tickets.

Britten Pears Arts Imogen Holst readers a music sheet as Steven Isserlis stands next to her also looking at the sheet music. Imogen wears glasses and a cardigan while Steven has dark curled hair and wears a chequered shirt with a cello next to him. The image is in black and white.Britten Pears Arts
Imogen Holst was good friends with British cellist Steven Isserlis who she invited to play at the Aldeburgh Festival

When thanking the Cadbury-Brown's for the house, she wrote: "My immense and perpetual gratitude for the loveliest house in the world."

The property included some of her personal items such as her writing desk as well as her father's oak music cupboard where she stored his manuscripts.

The house is owned by Britten Pears Arts and is available as a holiday rental. It is also open to the public every year for Heritage Open Days.

Historic England A view inside Holst's living area inside her home. A fireplace can be seen as well as a nearby wooden chair. A large oak cupboard also sits upon one of the room's walls with its doors open. Bookshelves line the walls.Historic England
Inside Holst's home is her father oak music cupboard where she stored her father's manuscripts

Sir Chris Bryant, heritage minister, said the "significance" of the home "extends far beyond its status as an unassuming yet notable example of Jim Cadbury-Brown's architecture".

Historic England's chief executive, Duncan Wilson, added that the home told of Holst's "contribution to British music and her connection to the Aldeburgh Festival, which continues to enrich our cultural landscape".

Andrew Comben, chief executive of Britten Pears Arts, said: "The Grade II listing of her house will help us to continue to tell her story on a national and international scale."

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