Gustav Holst composed his Second Suite for Military Band, Op. 28 no. 2, in 1911. It is a four-movement work, in the key of F major and, although performed less frequently than the First Suite in E-flat, it is a staple of the band repertoire (and usually considered more technically demanding that its sister suite). It was published in 1922 and dedicated to James Causley Windram. Holst had a particular interest in folk music, and had written many pieces based on folk tunes: no less than seven traditional tunes can be found in the four movements of the Suite for Military Band, Op. 28 no. 2. In the 1940s, Gordon Jacob arranged it for full orchestra under the title "A Hampshire Suite".
