Song of Threnos

Alfred Reed

Alfred Reed

Subtitle: A Threnody for Band

General Info

Year: 1964
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Bourne Company
Cost: Score and Parts - Out of Print

Instrumentation

Full Score
Condensed Score
Flute I-II-III (III doubling C Piccolo)
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
B-flat Cornet (div. a2)
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

• Bells
• Crash Cymbals

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The word “threnody” comes from the Greek “threnoidia”, which, in turn, is derived from a combination of two other Greek words, “threnos”, meaning lament, and “oide”, meaning song. While this traditionally alludes to a type of solemn funeral music, Alfred Reed wanted to keep that mood from this piece. Rather, Reed sought to create a piece quietly but gladly remembering a life well-lived. Instead of focusing on death and loss, Reed chooses to celebrate the goodness and nobility of the spirit.

- Program Note from the Redlands Symphonic Band concert program, 4 October 2016

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

• Virginia: IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• University of Redlands (Calif.) Symphonic Band (Austin Davis, conductor) – 4 October 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
• 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

• Reed, A. (1964). Song of Threnos (A Threnody for Band) [score]. Bourne: New York.