The Planets dedication notwithstanding, Imogen Holst "would have been both amused and dismayed by the venture." On 24 August 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined what it means to be a "planet" within the Solar System. This definition excluded Pluto as a planet and added it as a member of the new category of "dwarf planets", along with Eris and Ceres. Following the IAU decision, Kenyon D. Wilson composed a trombone quintet piece titled "Songs of Distant Earth". The title comes from Arthur C. Clarke's novel of the same name. The composition contains five movements, each named after one of the
The Planets: A Modern Allegory The Planets: A Modern Allegory The Planets: A Modern Allegory is a radio play, written in verse, by Alfred Kreymborg. The first performance was on 6 June 1938 by the National Broadcasting Company at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and was directed by Thomas L. Riley. The play was originally set to the music of "The Planets" Suite by Gustav Holst; for the first performance the NBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by H. Leopold Spitalny. The first broadcast was so enthusiastically received that it was repeated a few weeks later. The play describes the early history of the