▁without ▁a ▁break . ▁The ▁complete ▁composition ▁is ▁based ▁upon ▁an ▁eight - bar ▁mel ody ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁English ▁folk ▁song ; ▁however , ▁the ▁t une ▁is ▁original ▁to ▁Hol st . ▁ ▁Most ▁not ably , ▁the ▁theme ▁statement ▁that ▁initi ates ▁the ▁first ▁movement ▁is ▁developed ▁throughout ▁each ▁movement : ▁ ▁Its ▁variations ▁range ▁in ▁style ▁from ▁lyr ical ▁to ▁play fully ▁rh yth mic ▁to ▁orn ament ally ▁emb ell ished . ▁ ▁Mov ement ▁ 1 : ▁" Ch a conne " ▁▁ ▁This ▁movement , ▁in ▁ ▁time , ▁is ▁based ▁upon ▁an ▁eight - bar ▁mel ody ▁initi ated ▁by ▁the ▁low ▁br ass ▁which ▁repe ats ▁six teen ▁times ▁throughout ▁the ▁piece . ▁The ▁rh ythm ▁of ▁the ▁theme ▁with ▁its ▁minim – c rot ch et ▁and ▁c rot ch et – min im ▁rh ythm ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁based ▁upon ▁medieval ▁English ▁car ols ; ▁the ▁" Ag inc ourt ▁Song " ▁from ▁ 1 4 1 5 ▁in ▁particular ▁be ars ▁a ▁strong ▁res embl ance . ▁ ▁Hol st ▁uses ▁many ▁colour ful ▁effects ▁to ▁vary ▁the ▁cha conne ▁theme . ▁These ▁include ▁" band ▁hits " ▁( syn onymous ▁with ▁the ▁popular ▁term ▁" or chestra ▁hits ") ▁in ▁the ▁br ass ▁and ▁per cussion ▁out lin ing ▁the ▁notes ▁of ▁the ▁theme ▁while ▁the ▁wood w inds ▁play ▁virt u os ic ▁sem iqu aver ▁runs . ▁The ▁whole ▁passage ▁is ▁marked ▁br ill iante