Fantasy on "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair"

Alfred Reed

Traditional, arranged by Alfred Reed

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Subtitle: For Woodwind Choir

General Info

Year: 1973
Duration: c. 4:15
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Piedmont Music
Cost: Score and Parts – Out of print.

Instrumentation

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Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Black Is the Colour (of My True Love's Hair) is a traditional folk song first known in the Appalachian Mountains region of the United States in 1915, but most probably originating from Scotland, as attributed to the reference to the Clyde in the song's lyrics. The musicologist Alan Lomax supported this Scottish origin, saying that the song was an American "re-make of British materials."

Many different versions of this song exist, some addressed to females and others addressed to males, as well as other differences. These words are set to two distinct melodies, one of which is traditional and the other was written by the Kentucky folk singer and composer John Jacob Niles. Niles recalled that his father thought the traditional melody was "downright terrible", so he wrote "a new tune, ending it in a nice modal manner."

The song has become a part of the traditional repertory of Celtic music artists. The first recording was made by Mrs. Lizzie Roberts in 1916 as Black Is the Colour.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Media

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State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

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Indiana Wind Symphony (Carmel) (Charles P. Conrad, conductor) - 21 November 2021 (Concert scheduled by cancelled)
Penn State University (University Park) Campus Band (Margaret Pedlow Smith, conductor) – 9 December 2019
Charlottesville (Va.) Municipal Band (Stephen R. Layman, conductor) – 10 April 2016

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Come, Sweet Death (Flex instrumentation) (as transcriber; arr. Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
A Festival Prelude (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Haga) (1962/2019)
Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)

All Wind Works

Acclamation!
Alleluia! Laudamus Te (1973)
Arioso (as arranger) (1729/1998)
Armenian Dances (1972-1978)
- Armenian Dances, Part One (1972/1974)
- Armenian Dances, Part Two (1978)
Around the World in 80 Days: Selections (as arranger; ed. Rogers) (1957/2017)
Autumn Leaves (as arranger; ed. Rogers) (1947/2017)
Ballade (1956/1999)
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 Suite (as arranger) (1965)
Berceuse and Finale from "The Firebird" (as editor; arr. McAlister) (1910/2005)
The Big East March (1997)
Canto e Camdombe
Carmen (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1875/2000)
A Celebration Fanfare (1989)
A Ceremonial Fanfare (1971)
Ceremony of Flourishes (1964)
Chanson Triste (as arranger) (1878/1989)
Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite" (as editor with McAlister; tr. Rogan) (1892/2001)
Children's Suite (2000)
A Christmas Suite (1974)
Chorale Prelude in E minor (1953/1966)
A Christmas Celebration (1987)
A Christmas Intrada (1980)
Clear Track Polka (as arranger) (1869/2000)
Come, Sweet Death (as arranger) (1736/1976)
Come, Sweet Death (as transcriber; arr. Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
Concertino (as arranger; ed. McCathren) (1811/1962)
Concertino for Marimba and Winds (1993)
Concerto for Trumpet and Winds (1995/1997)
- Sonata
- Slow Blues, Jazz Waltz
- Song, Samba
Curtain Up! (1991)
Dance of the Hours (as editor; tr. Kennedy) (1876/)
Danza Caribe (1986)
Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness (as arranger) (1653/1724/1990)
Divertimento for Flute and Band (1998)
Double Wind Quintet (1975)
East and West (2003)
El Camino Real (1985)
El Camino Real (arr. Longfield) (1985/2013)
The Enchanted Island (1980)
The Entertainer (as arranger) (1902/1974)
Evolutions (1993)
Exhortation and Praise (2003)
Fanfare and Processional (2005)
The Fantasticks (as arranger) (1966)
Fantasy on "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (as arranger) (1973)
A Festival Prelude (1962)
A Festival Prelude (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Haga) (1962/2019)
A Festive Overture (1963)
Fifth Suite for Band (1995)
Fifth Symphony (1995)
Finlandia (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1900/2004)
First Suite for Band (1975)
Five Cameos (2002)
Five Dances for Five Clarinets and Band (1966)
Forget Me Not, O Dearest Lord (as arranger) (c. 1736/1985)
Fourth Suite for Band (1994)
Fourth Symphony (1992)
French Suite
Funiculi Funicula (as arranger) (1880/1994)
The Garden of Proserpine
Giligia (2000)
Golden Eagle (1989/1995)
Golden Jubilee (1987)
The Golden Year (1997)
Greensleeves (1993/2011)
Gypsy Dance (as arranger) (1872/1997)
Havana Moon
Highlights from "Exodus" (as arranger) (1960/1962)
Highlights from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" (as arranger) (1963/1965)
The Hounds of Spring (1981)
Huldigungsmarsch (as editor) (1864/2002)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1853/2002)
Hymn Variants (1992)
I Left my Heart in San Francisco (as transcriber; ed. Rogers) (1954/1963)
Imperatrix (1972)
In Dulci Jubilo (as arranger) (1970)
In Memoriam (1972)
Intrada Drammatica (1968/1992)
Jazz Waltz. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/1981)
Jidai (2001)
Joyeux Noël (Brass Ensemble) (1998)
Joyeux Noël (Wind Ensemble) (1998/2001/2002)
A Jubilant Overture (1970)
A Jubilant Overture (arr. Conaway) (1970/2011)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is (1995)
L’Arlésienne Suite No 2 (as editor, with McAlister) (1872/2002)
Laid-Back Rag
Light Cavalry Overture (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1866/2003)
A Little Concert Suite (1984)
Lumberjack Overture
Macarena (as arranger) (1992)
Mancini! (as arranger) (1965)
March Grandioso (as arranger) (1901/1969)
Mary Poppins (as arranger) (1964/2006)
Might and Majesty
Millennium III (1999)
Mr. Music (1990)
The Music-Makers (1968)
Music for Hamlet (1973/2018)
Music in the Air! (2000)
The Music Man: Highlights (as arranger) (1957/1959)
My Fair Lady (as arranger) (1956/?)
My Heart Is Filled With Longing (as arranger) (c. 1710/1986)
Nimrod (as arranger) (1899/1965)
Nocturne (as arranger) (1886/1953/1975)
A Nordic Trilogy (with Erickson and Davis) (1967)
A Northern Legend (1972)
O Little Town (as arranger)
O Most Wonderful (as arranger)
Ode for Trumpet (1956)
Old and New (2002)
Othello (1977)
Our Father Who Art in Heaven (as arranger) (1710/1988)
Passacaglia (1967)
Pavane for a Dead Princess (as orchestrator; ed. McAlister) (1899/1988)
Piccolo Concerto in C major (as arranger) (1728-29/1962/1969)
Pilgrim's Chorus (as arranger) (1845/1991)
The Pledge of Allegiance (1970)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 1 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 2 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 3 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Pomp and Circumstance Military March No. 4 (as editor; tr. Retford) (1907/2000)
Praise Jerusalem! (1986)
Prelude IV (as arranger) (1722/1983)
Prelude and Capriccio (1978)
Prelude, Op. 9, No. 1 (as arranger) (1894/1985)
Prelude to Act III from "Lohengrin" (as arranger, with McAlister) (1850/2006)
Presentation of the Silver Rose (as arranger) (1910/1988)
Pro Texana (1984)
Punchinello (1974)
Radetzky March (as arranger) (1848/1993)
Rahoon (1965)
The Ramparts of Courage (1995)
Rosalind in the Forest of Arden (2005)
Rushmore (1981)
Russian Christmas Music (1944)
Russian Christmas Music (arr. Curnow) (1944/1990)
A Sacred Suite
Salutations! (1995)
Samba. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Seascape: A Dramatic Intermezzo (1962)
Second Century (1986)
Second Suite for Band (1980)
Second Symphony (1979)
Selections from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" (as editor; arr. Kostal) (1963/1964)
Serenade (1966)
Seventh Suite for Band (2002)
The Severn Suite (as arranger) (1973)
Siciliana Notturno (1977)
Silver Shadow (1998/1999)
Sine Nomine (as arranger) (1906/1976)
Sixth Suite for Band
Slavonic Folk Suite (1953/1987)
Slow Blues. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Sonata. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Song. See: Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Song of the High Cascades
Song of Threnos (1964)
A Springtime Celebration (1991)
The Strenuous Life (as arranger) (1902/1974)
Sumus Futuro (1999)
A Symphonic Prelude (1963)
Symphony for Brass and Percussion (1952/1967)
Symphony No. 1. See: Symphony for Brass and Percussion
Symphony No. 2. See: Second Symphony
Symphony No. 3 (1988)
- Variations on the Porazzi Theme of Wagner (1882/1988)
Symphony No. 4. See: Fourth Symphony
Symphony No. 5. See: Fifth Symphony
Tannhäuser Grand March (as editor; tr. McAlister) (1847/2005)
Tarantella (1996)
Testament of an American (1974)
Theme from "Lawrence of Arabia" (as arranger) (1963)
Third Suite for Band (1982)
Third Symphony. See: Symphony No. 3
Three Chorales (as arranger; ed. McAlister) (?/2013)
Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra (1984)
Three Symphonic Preludes (as arranger)
Thunder and Lightning (1999)
The Tsar's Farewell (as arranger) (2001)
Twelfth Night (2003)
Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)
Two Bagatelles (1983/1995)
Two Bagatelles for Concert Band (1983/1997)
Two Bagatelles for Four Trombones (1983)
Variations on the Porazzi Theme of Wagner. See: Symphony No. 3
Victory! (2005)
Vilia (as arranger) (1905/1990)
Vilabella March (as editor) (1970)
Viva Musica! (1984)
Wapawekka (1963)
With Trumpets And Drums (1992)

Resources

Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair, Wikipedia Accessed 7 April 2016
Reed, A. (1973). Fantasy on "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" : For Woodwind Choir [score]. Piedmont Music Co.: [s.l.].