With Christmas approaching in a matter of days, and countless shoppers seeking a novel, beautiful, thoughtful, unexpected gift, I’ve stumbled across a perfect recommendation --- tender, tuneful, fresh, folksy and eminently affordable. 

There’s a newly released album of enchanting music by the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934), and for the ridiculous price of $5.99 you can provide someone you love with an hour of delight that’s worth more than the cost each and every time you listen. 

Holst is best known for his astrological blockbuster “The Planets,” but the small pieces on this album (“Gustav Holst: Orchestral Music”, from Arte Nova recordings) are less dazzling and bombastic --  more intimate, more gentle, more connected to the English folk tunes that inspired Holst throughout his life. In his student years, he tramped through the British countryside with primitive recording equipment (and occasionally with his great friend Ralph Vaughan Williams) to capture the sounds of the authentic (and fading) English folk-song tradition. This new album provides some rarely heard arrangements of such earthy, ancient material “Six Morris Dance Tunes,” “Seven Scottish Airs” and, most unforgettably, the haunting and spiritual “In the Bleak Midwinter” (appropriate for late December, indeed). There’s also the spirited romp for strings “St. Paul’s Suite” (written for the girls school at which Holst taught), the “Brook Green Suite,” and the precious, jewel-like, deeply affecting “Lyric Movement for Viola and Small Orchestra” – 11 minutes of ethereal, yearning meditation I had never heard before. 

The performances by the London Festival Orchestra conducted by Ross Pople are consistently lively and affectionate, even if this energetic band can’t quite match major orchestral ensembles in terms of precision or virtuosity. The sound quality is appropriately intimate, with surprising attention to detail. 

This sort of music can induce a dreamlike state, or provide a background soundtrack as appropriate as a crackling fire for holiday get-togethers. Familiar melodies like “Greensleeves” and “Auld Lang Syne” and “Country Gardens” pop up from time to time and deserve welcome like old friends. 

The serial number for this exceptional Compact Disc is Arte Nova/ANO 340220, and it’s available at most Borders, Barnes & Noble, and other prominent book and music stores for $5.99 (click here for purchasing information) – even less if you use one of the coupons these merchants often provide on demand at this time of year. 

It’s a bargain-hunters dream for enhancing your gift-giving or your own musical enjoyment of the holiday season.