A "Holbrooke Music Society" was founded in 1931 to promote the composer's works, Scott-Ellis being the Patron and Granville Bantock acting as President. Until Bantock's death in 1946, Holbrooke maintained frequent correspondence with the older composer, railing against the BBC's apparent unwillingness to broadcast performances of his music.From correspondence with Granville Bantock held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, 1935-1939 (MS79/9), 1942-1943 (MS79/11) and 1944-45 (MS79/12) Despite his neglect by the musical establishment, Holbrooke continued to compose throughout the 1930s and 1940s, working on several large-scale projects including an opera-ballet Tamlane, two further choral symphonies, Blake and Milton,Complete list of Holbrooke's published musical works (London: Modern Music Library, October 1941) both of which were probably unfinished,Fitch, Donald: Blake set to music - a bibliography of musical settings of the poems and prose of William Blake (Berkeley, Los Angeles and Oxford: University of California Press, 1990, pp. 104–105) and choral settings of Kipling's poetry, also unfinished.Brian, Havergal: Josef Holbrooke, English composer (Tomorrow, 4 November 1939, pp. 31–32) reprinted in MacDonald, Malcolm: Havergal Brian on music volume 1 (London: Toccata Press, 1986, pp. 280–285) He also devoted much of his time to revising and recasting his earlier works. Whilst resident in London, Holbrooke lived at various addresses including 22 Harringay Grove, Hornsey (c.1902-1910), Vale House, Tufnell Park (c.1910-c.1924), 60 Boundary Road, St John's Wood (c.1929-1937), 48 Boundary Road, St John's Wood (1937-1940), and 55 Alexandra Road, St John's Wood (1940-1958).From correspondence with Granville Bantock held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, 1900-1946 (MS79) Between September 1940 and March 1941, at the height of the Blitz, he moved out of London to live with friends in Taunton, Somerset, before returning to the capital permanently in the summer.From correspondence with Granville Bantock held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, 1940-1941 (MS79/10) He died at 55 Alexandra Road, St John's Wood, London, on 5 August 1958 at the age of eighty and was survived by his wife Dorothy ('Dot') Elizabeth Hadfield whom he had married in 1904. The couple had five children: Mildred (born 1905), Anton (1908), Barbara (1909), Gwydion (1912) and Diana (1915), the last of whom was married to the renowned clarinettist Reginald Kell. The youngest son changed his name to Gwydion Brooke and became a pre-eminent English bassoonist, also actively promoting the music of his father through a continuation of the "Modern Music Library", renamed "The Blenheim Press".
