Male voice choirs were once legion in the UK, along with brass bands the proud heritage of the county’s working class. Women tended to get a rawer deal, partly because they were expected to spend their evenings in domestic pursuits, but also one suspects because of the Catch-22 of limited repertoire. Where they did exist, in the social clubs, girls’ schools and ladies’ colleges, it often fell to an inspirational educator to come up with the music to sing.

That was certainly the case with Gustav Holst, who spent almost 30 years teaching girls at St Paul’s School in Hammersmith as well as fostering amateur music-making as Director of Music at Morley College in Lambeth. He’s the lynchpin here, represented by a collection of his songs for upper voices and harp, a combination that inspired him throughout his life.

Both the Two Eastern Pictures and the third group of Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda hail from 1911 and were written for the Blackburn Ladies’ Choir (clearly an ambitious outfit). Together they represent another of Holst’s passions, Indian literature,...