Family Holmes Videos

Double Concerto Grosso for L'Histoire du Soldat

Ensemble, Metallophones, and Full Orchestra

Duration: 10:00 min.

Program Notes:

Family Holmes Videos came about as the result of a commission from the Troy Metro Symphony Orchestra for its 20th Anniversary. Each piece in the 2025-2026 season was to reflect a different aspect of what music is or does. As I thought about how I could connect a theme statement for my piece with a concept for my Ho(l)mes collection, I landed on the phrase, “Music makes the ordinary extraordinary.” I come from an ordinary family; I don’t know of any current or past family members who have been famous or made an impact that affects the world at large. Nevertheless, our ancestors have had a tremendous impact on me and my siblings through their choices of where to live, what to do, and who to love.

This piece is structured as a double concerto gross, with the L’Histoire du Soldat soli ensemble representing my dad’s side of the family and the metallophone percussion instruments representing my mom’s side. Each side presents its own themes separately at first, then alternating with each other, and then in cooperation with each other, paralleling the progression of closeness as my ancestral families immigrated from England and Germany, made their way to Iowa, and eventually were joined together in my parents’ marriage. The orchestral interludes allow for additional development of the main themes and a little more time for the accompanying video to show you the “themes” of my family - objects and activities that we’ve passed down. I hope that this piece will show how extraordinary these ordinary people really are and encourage you to be the kind of person who shapes the best possible future for your kids, grandkids, and all the generations to come in your family.