Autograph manuscript sketch for 'Beni Mora'

The composition was inspired by Holst's holiday in Algeria in 1908.  The Moorish melodies he heard on the streets poured onto the page to create a distinct sound.  The four-page sketch, dotted with deletions, alterations and revisions does diverge from the completed manuscript, demonstrating how Holst's ideas could change and develop while working on a piece. Beni Mora is important, not just because it reveals his interest in 'eastern' culture, but beacuse it was the last major work before 'The Planets'.