| Activity | Musician and composer. First came to Dartington in 1938. In 1940 she became a 'Music Traveller' for the Council for the Encouragement for Music and the Arts (CEMA, later the Arts Council), a job which entailed her touring the South-West of England to encourage amateur music making.. In 1942 Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst invited her to Dartington to start course for music students, and she resigned from CEMA. Alongside her inspired teaching of the students, she cajoled many of those working on the estate to play in her orchestra. Leonard Elmhirst was encouraged to play the cello and under her guidance he became a proficient player of the recorder, which he continued to play almost every day for the rest of his life. Dorothy to her own amazement and delight, played the guitar in the orchestra and their daughter Ruth, on her return from the US was encouraged by Imogen in her singing and love of music. She left Dartington in 1951 to become Benjamin Britten's assistant, until 1964 when she resigned in order to work on her father's music. Imogen was a frequent visitor to Dartington until her death in 1984. Peter Pears (in the place of Britten who was not well) with Imogen Holst opened the new Music School at Dartington Hall for the Dartington College of Arts on the 5 Feb 1966. |