Brian Holmes

2010 Composer In Residence

Brian Holmes writes for chorus because he enjoys how words and music interact. Largely sefl-taught as a composer, he has numerous performances, commissions, publications, and awards to his credit. He is a professor of physics at San Jose State, specializing in the physics of music.

The Choral Artists and our Bay Area audiences have enjoyed two of Brian Holmes’ compositions in the past few years:

  • King Herod came to Bethlehem, set to a text by the composer, was a world premiere by the Choral Artists at our December 2006 concert set.
  • Jolly Jankin was performed by the Choral Artists at our December 2005 concert set, with SFCA soprano Jennifer Owen as soloist. In 14th century England, this may have been a popular song (See Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales). The original text, which has been widely anthologized, is found in the British Library, Sloane MS 2593. The original musical version, for women’s chorus, was premiered by the Peninsula Women’s Chorus. As a mixed chorus piece, it won the Ithaca College Choral Composition Contest.
Scores of these and Brian’s other works are available by contacting the composer.