A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Holmes, Alfred
HOLMES, Alfred, born in London, Nov. 9, 1837, son of Thomas Holmes, of Lincoln, a self-taught man, was at the age of 7 initiated by his father in the practice of violin playing. With no other instruction than that of his parent and Spohr's 'Violin School,' he soon became distinguished, and especially noted for the performance of duets with his younger brother, Henry. At a later period their father made them study the classic French school of Rode, Baillot, and Kreutzer. When about 10 years of age Alfred became principal soprano boy at the Oratory, then newly established in King William Street, Strand, in the building theretofore the Lowther Rooms, and now the Folly Theatre. On July 13, 1847, the two brothers made their first appearance in public at the Haymarket Theatre at the benefit of F. Webster, and played Auber's overture to 'Masaniello,' arranged as a violin duet. They did not again appear in public until 1853, in the summer of which year they played at a concert at the Beethoven Rooms, assisted by W. H. Webb, Piatti, and Lindsay Sloper. In 1855 they made their first visit to the continent and went to Brussels, where they remained for several months performing with great success. In 1856 they visited Wiesbaden, Frankfort, Darmstadt, Leipsic, Mayence, and Cassel. In 1857 they went to Vienna; after that to Sweden, where they remained for two years, and then to Copenhagen in 1860 and Amsterdam in 1861, meeting everywhere with great success. In 1864 Alfred Holmes settled in Paris, where in 1866 he established a quartet party. In 1867 he made a tour in Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Russia. At St. Petersburg he produced his 'Jeanne d'Arc,' symphony with solos and chorus, which was performed for the first time in England at the Crystal Palace, Feb. 27, 1875. Returning to Paris he gave some fragments of a symphony called 'The Youth of Shakspere,' and an opera, 'Inez de Castro.' He afterwards produced two symphonies entitled 'Robin Hood' and 'The Siege of Paris,' and composed two others under the names of 'Charles XII' and 'Romeo and Juliet.' He died, after a short illness, at Paris, March 4, 1876. Shortly after his death two overtures, 'The Cid' and 'The Muses,' his last works, were produced in London. [App. p.678 replace last sentence with "His last works were two Overtures, of which 'The Cid' was played at the Crystal Palace, Feb. 21, 1874, and The Muses' in London later."]
His brother Henry, born in London, Nov. 7, 1839, was, like him, instructed solely by his father. In his boyhood he was also a chorister at the Oratory. After quitting his brother in Paris in 1865 he proceeded to Copenhagen and thence to Stockholm, where he remained some time, but ultimately returned to England and settled in London, where he is highly esteemed as a solo violinist and quartet player. His principal compositions are four symphonies (No. 1, in A, performed at the Crystal Palace Feb. 24, 1872), a concert overture, two quintets for stringed instruments, a violin concerto (in F, Crystal Palace Dec. 11, 1875), many violin solos, two sacred cantatas for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, entitled 'Praise ye the Lord,' and 'Christmas,' and numerous songs. [App. p.679 "add that for some years he has given an interesting series of chamber concerts, under the title of 'Musical Evenings,' and that he has held the post of professor of the violin at the Royal College of Music since its foundation. A symphony, entitled 'Boscastle,' was given at one of the London Symphony Concerts in the spring of 1887."]