Holmes Plays Coda on Teacher Career

When a high school’s performing arts center reaches standing-room-only capacity at its semi-annual concerts, you know its conductor must be someone special.

One such conductor is Bill Holmes, who has spent his entire career at Watchung Hills Regional High School teaching vocal music. Aside from some part-time teaching after leaving Rutgers University with his bachelor’s in Music Education, Holmes has spent all 31 years of his career at Hills, teaching such courses as Music History, Music Theory, Chorus and Advanced  Chorus, and conducting students in concert.

The skill, polish and enthusiasm evident on the stage during student performances bear witness to his success as a teacher, as a leader, and as a human being (see some of the students performing at this week's Arts Fetsival here).

Singers are aligned in various groupings and levels—anywhere from 30 to 80 in the choir, to as many as 280 in the choruses. The Beginners Chorus is open to all comers; admission to the advanced chorus groupings is by recommendation. The music that Holmes selects (chosen after the school semester begins and based on students’  abilities) is a generous mix of pop, Broadway show tunes, Baroque, Renaissance.

“They learn a little history as we go along,” says Holmes of the selections.  The repertoire is varied so as to appeal to all tastes and abilities,” he says of the choices.

What attracts students to choral classes in such great numbers? Participation in choral groups, says  Holmes, gives students a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Feelings of competition and one-upsmanship are submerged in pursuit of a common goal—creating beautiful, harmonious sound, teamwork and discipline. It’s not all singing, however, for students are required to write four papers during the year, with one piece ‘in depth,’ ” says Holmes.

 Every year Holmes has students whose abilities land them in the Central Jersey Chorus, and even the All State Chorus, which enlist only the most gifted singers for performance at concert venues across the state—and even New Jersey’s  Performing Arts Center in Newark. One of his students, Amanda Pabyan (Class of 1995) has attained international standing as an opera performer. On alternate years Holmes has taken students to various choral competitions along the east coast, and they’ve always returned with trophies for their performance.

That the whole choral experience is one that is remembered with fondness can be corroborated in a tangible way: When choral alumni in the concert audience are invited to join in singing the signature conclusion of the spring concert (Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”), there is a rush from seats to stage as former choristers lend their voices to those of student participants, most  often more than 300 voices in all. The concerts not only showcase the talents of present-day students, but also indicate that their predecessors have maintained the  fervor for good music established in their student days.

 High on his list of beloved –things-outside-of-school is Holmes’ affection for his springer spaniels,  Rusty and Laurie, whose names and photos are well known to students. Holmes and his wife, in fact, are deeply involved in the Mid-Atlantic Region English Spaniel Rescue efforts, an interest  he hopes to maintain in retirement.

And, about that retirement: Holmes tells people who want him to continue teaching “Sure, I’ll miss it…but I’m not one who ‘stays too long.’ I’m old enough  to retire but young enough to look forward to new things.”

Among  the latter, celebrating a 30th wedding anniversary in  Hawaii, going to the beach after Labor Day, finding a new, smaller  home,  somewhere on the Delmarva Peninsula.

As they say of beautiful music: The notes fade, but the melody lingers on.