Statues - Hither & Thither

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Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
South West England

Imperial Gardens

Gustav Holst

(born Gustavus Theodore von Holst)
Cheltenham 1874 - 1934
English composer, most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets
(Wikipedia)

Anthony Stones
2008

Description

Bronze statue of Holst directing on an octagonal stone pedestal, placed in an octagonal basin. On seven sides of the pedestal are bronze reliefs with personification of the planets (names at the bottom of each relief) - referring to Holst's orchestral suite The Planets. On the eighth side is a plaque and the sculptor's signature.

On the edge of the basin are plaques with the names of the various parts of the monument with their sponsors:


MERCURY the winged messenger sponsored by wendland rossiter partnership	VENUS the bringer of peace sponsored by beards	MARS the bringer of war sponsored by pate's grammar school foundation	NEPTUNE the mystic sponsored by savills

URANUS the magician sponsored by brian & nina kirk	SATURN the bringer of old age sponsored by spa pr	JUPITER the bringer of jollity sponsored by the queen's hotel	STATUE PLINTH sponsored by karen e. ward FOUNTAIN RESTORATION sponsored by subtone

(click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

Inscription(s)

Circular plaque with text:

elizabeth hammond bequest
gustav
HOLST
composer
1874-1934
given to the people of
cheltenham
2008
cheltenham civic society

Signed: Anthony Stones '07
(on pedestal): anthony / STONES / f.r.b.s. / sculptor

The Planets, Op. 32

A seven-movement orchestral suite written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. With the exception of Earth (the centre of all yet influentially inert astrologically), all the astrological planets known during the work's composition are represented.

The suite has seven movements, each named after a planet and its corresponding astrological character (see Planets in astrology):

Mars, the Bringer of War
Venus, the Bringer of Peace
Mercury, the Winged Messenger
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
Uranus, the Magician
Neptune, the Mystic

Go to the Wikipedia page for The Planets to listen to the different movements.

Sculptor

Anthony Stones (1934), English sculptor, living in New Zealand 1952-1983 (his website).

Location (N 51°53'49" - W 2°4'44")

Item Code: gbsw004; Photograph: 23 July 2012
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
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© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt