THORPE MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY - Key Persons
Brian W. Holmes was born in Washington D.C. on August 6, 1946. He graduated from Pomona College and earned a PhD in experimental low temperature physics from Boston University. He is now (1999) a professor of Physics at San Jose State University in San Jose, California, and is active as a free-lance horn player, performing with the San Jose Symphony and Opera San Jose.
While in Boston, Holmes studied horn with Harry Shapiro and played in the Cambridge Symphonic Brass Quintet. Many of his arrangements for brass and chorus have been performed and recorded by Revels, Inc. One such arrangement, "Strike Up Your Instruments of Joy," is published by Thorpe as part of the Revels Choral Series (No. 392-03032).
As a composer, Holmes often writes for solo voice and chorus. His involvement with Revels sparked an interest in setting texts related to Christmas. Five Medieval Songs and Carols for women's chorus, Five Medieval Carols for mixed voices, Now is the Time for baritone, chorus, brass and timpani, and the one-act Christmas opera One Shepherd Stayed Behind (with words co-written with his father, Fenwicke Holmes) all reflect this interest.
Another choral work for Christmas that shows Holmes natural gift for melody, coupled with fine compositional technique, is the prize-winning carol "I Saw a Fair Maiden" for unaccompanied mixed voices (Thorpe No. 392-03053).
Brian Holmes has also composed numerous songs, song cycles, choral works and instrumental works, including a concerto for toy piano and orchestra. Several works have been recorded by the Peninsula Women's Chorus and by the Stanford University Chorale.
Holmes interests in physics and music overlap. He does research on the physics of musical instruments and has occasionally composed music related to science. His "Updike's Science," for example, is a set of six songs about science, composed to humorous poems of John Updike. He has also lectured on the physics of musical instruments at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oberlin College, Cornell University, Brown University, Boston University, Boston College, Pomona College, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Physical Society, and the Acoustical Society of America.
Composer Mark Carlson's lyrical, emotionally powerful, and stylistically unique music has earned him the admiration of audiences and musicians throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. A versatile composer, his more than 70 works include art songs, chamber music, choral music, concertos and other large ensemble works, and songs for musical theater. The recipient of over 40 commissions, he has been commissioned by the National Shrine in Washington, DC, the New West Symphony, Westwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, First Methodist Church of Santa Monica, the UCLA Wind Ensemble, and the Santa Monica College Orchestra, among other organizations, as well as by many individual musicians and private parties. His latest work was the science-fiction opera The Everlasting Bonfire. Five recordings of his works are currently available, including Pacific Serenades's first CD, The Hall of Mirrors, Nightwings for wind quintet and tape, and Patchen Songs for voice and piano. His "Twilight" from The Hall of Mirrors for clarinet and piano was released on a CD by clarinetist Michele Gingras last year and is soon to be recorded for another CD by clarinetist Gerard Errante. From the Song of Songs, for soprano and piano, will be released on innova recordings this season. His music is published by Yelton Rhodes Music, Pacific Serenades Music, and C Swigart Music, all of Los Angeles, and by Thorpe Music of Boston.
A strong believer in the vitality of new classical music, Mr. Carlson is the founder and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles chamber music ensemble, Pacific Serenades-now in its 14th season-known for its unique combination of commissioned works (56 to date) and standard repertoire.
Also a flutist, he is an avid performer of chamber music and has performed numerous works written for him; he has also been a member of the Pasadena Symphony, the YMF Debut Orchestra, and the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
Born in 1952 in Ft. Lewis, Washington, he grew up in California, attended the University of Redlands, graduated from Cal State University, Fresno, and received MA and PhD degrees in composition from UCLA. His composition teachers included Alden Ashforth and Paul Reale, and his flute studies were primarily with Roger S. Stevens. Very active as a private teacher, he is also now on the faculty at Santa Monica College and UCLA, where he has taught music theory and composition for many years.
Richard Delong, organist, harpsichordist, conductor, composer, and clinician, was born in Mansfield, Ohio, on September 17, 1951, and died on September 7, 1994 in Dallas, Texas. He received the degree of Bachelor of Music from Ashland College in 1973, graduating summa cum laude, first in his class. In 1976 he received with highest honors the degrees of Master of Music and Master of Sacred Music from Southern Methodist University. His teachers included Robert Anderson, Larry Palmer, Lloyd Pfautsch, Roger Deschner, and Carlton Young. As a recitalist DeLong performed across the United States and in Europe. As an accompanist he performed with some of the nation's leading choral conductors. His work as a composer became recognized nationally following the premiere of his "Deus Creator Omnium" at the opening of the 1985 Regional American Guild of Organists convention in Providence, RI. Having works in print with twelve different publishers, he was regularly commissioned to write new ones. For twleve years Mr. DeLong was Director of Music for the Roman Catholic parish of St. Mark the Evangelist, in Plano, Texas, a position he held until his death. His own choir sang the premiere performances of nearly 100 choral works. A past dean of the Dallas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (1981-83), he was an advocate for the performance of new liturgical music. Mr. DeLong was also an avid collector of twentieth-century art.