Alfred Reed

Alfred Reed (January 25, 1921 – September 17, 2005) was an American neoclassical composer, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name. He also traveled extensively as a guest conductor, performing in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Life
Reed was born in New York and began his formal music training at the age of ten. During World War II, he served in the 529th Army Air Force Band. Following his military service, he attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Vittorio Giannini, after which he was staff composer and arranger first for NBC, then for ABC. In 1953, he became the conductor of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at Baylor University, where he received his B.M. in 1955 and his M.M. in 1956. His master's thesis, Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra, was awarded the Luria Prize in 1959. He was a member of the Beta Tau chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music.
From 1955 to 1966, he was the executive editor of Hansen Publications, a music publisher. He was the professor of music at the University of Miami, where he worked with composer Clifton Williams from 1966 until the latter's death in 1976. Williams' office was across the hall from Reed's office in the University of Miami School of Music, and Reed was chairman of the department of Music Media and Industry and director of the Music Industry Program at the time of his retirement. He established the first college-level music business curriculum at the University of Miami in 1966, which led other colleges and universities to follow suit. At the time of his death, he had composition commissions that would have taken him 31 years. Many of Reed's wind band compositions have been released as CD recordings by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.
Works and arrangements
Works for orchestra
1962 Greensleeves - "What Child is This?"
American Sketches - No. 1 "Strings 'n Things"
American Sketches - No. 2 "Fashion Show"
American Sketches - No. 3 "Country Night"
American Sketches - No. 4 "By the Lagoon"
American Sketches - No. 5 "The Mechanical Doll"
Serenade
Suite Concertante for strings and harp
Works for concert band
1944 Russian Christmas Music
Carol of the Little Russian Children
Antiphonal Chant
Village Song
Cathedral Chorus
1952 Symphony for Brass and Percussion
1955 Lumberjack Overture
1956 Ballade for Solo Eb Alto Saxophone & Band
1958 Might and Majesty, a Biblical Suite
1959 Music Man
The Wells Fargo Wagon
Till There Was You
Seventy-Six Trombones
1962 A Festival Prelude
1962 A Sacred Suite
1962 rev. 1986 Greensleeves Fantasy for Concert Band
1963 A Festive Overture
1966 Rahoon for Solo Clarinet and Band
1967 The Music-Makers
1967 Passacaglia
1968 Intrada Drammatica
1968 Wapawekka - White Sands
1970 A Jubilant Overture
1970 The Pledge of Allegiance for Concert Band
1971 A Ceremonial Fanfare
1972 A Northern Legend
1972 Armenian Dances Part 1, inspired by a collection of Folk Songs collected by Komitas Vardapet (1869–1935)
Tzirani Tzar - The Apricot Tree
Gakavi Yerk - The Partridge's Song
Hoy, Nazan Eem - Hoy, My Nazan
Alagyaz
Gna, Gna - Go, Go!
1972 Imperatrix
1972 In Memoriam, an Elegy for the Fallen
1973 Punchinello, Overture
1973 Alleluia! Laudamus Te
1976 First Suite for Band
March
Melody
Rag
Gallop
1977 Armenian Dances Part 2
Hov Arek
Khoomar
Lorva Horovel
1977 Othello A Symphonic Portrait for Symphonic Band in Five Scenes (after William Shakespeare)
Prelude (Venice) - The tyrant custom hath made the flinty and steel couch of war my thrice-driven bed.
Aubade (Cyprus) - Good Morning, General
Othello and Desdemona - She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.
Entrance of the Court - Behold, the Lion of Venice!
The Death of Desdemona; Epilogue - I kissed thee ere I killed thee: no way but this….
1978 Prelude and Capriccio
1978 Second Suite for Band (Latino Mexicana)
Son Montuno
Tango ("Sargasso Serenade")
Guaracha
Paso Double ("A la Corrida!")
1979 Second Symphony for Band
Lento (ma ritmico)
Allegro con fuoco
Molto moderato e sostenuto
1980 A Christmas Intrada - Commissioned by the Middle Tennessee State University Band; Premiered October 1981 by "The President's Own" United States Marine Band at the 20th Annual Contest of Champions at Middle Tennessee State University.
1981 Acalarado for Marching Band
1981 The Hounds of Spring, A Concert Overture
1981 Rushmore
1982 Queenston Overture
1982 The Garden of Proserpine Symphonic Pastorale
1982 Viva Musica
1982 Third Suite for Band (Scenes De Ballet)
Fanfare and Intrada
Pas de deux
Polka excentrique
Danse generale
1983 Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra
To Awaken in the Light of the Universe
To Contemplate the Depths of the Soul
To Rejoice in the Beauty of Peace
1984 Pro Texana Concert-March
1985 El Camino Real
1985 Ramparts of Courage
1986 Second Century
1988 Praise Jerusalem!
1988 Third Symphony for Band
Pesante e molto sostenuto Allegro agitado
Variations on the "Porazzi" Theme of Wagner
Allegro deciso
1990 Mr. Music
1991 A Springtime Celebration
1992 Fourth Symphony for Band
Elegy
Intermezzo
Tarantella
1992 Hymn Variants
1992–1993 Fourth Suite for Band - City of Music
Intrada
Arie
Marsch
1993 Concertino for Marimba and Winds
1993 Greensleeves (arr.)
1994 Fifth Symphony for Band
Moderately and sustained
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Allegro molto, con fuoco
1995 Fifth Suite for Band (International Dances)
Hoe Down (America)
Sarabande (France)
Yamabushi Kagura (Japan)
Hora (Israel and Rumania)
1995 The King of Love My Shepherd Is
1997 Sixth Suite for Band
March Miniature
Summer Stroll
Halloween Hobgoblin
Awa Odori (Japanese Dance)
1998 Prism
1999 Millennium III Concert Overture
2000 Children's Suite for Solo Alto-Saxophone and Band or Wind Ensemble
Kiyoko's Lullaby
Kiyoko's Playtime
2000 Giligia (A Song of Remembrance)
2002 Exhortation and Praise
2003 Seventh Suite for Band A Century of Flight - composed as celebration for opening of Noto Airport in Wajima, Ishikawa, Japan and for centennial anniversary of Wright brothers' world's first flying by airplane
prologue: Look to the Skies!
Intermezzo: The Winds and Waves of Wajima
March: To Fly With the Wings of Eagles
2004 Ebo Signation
A Christmas Celebration
Angels We Have Heard On High
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
A O Comell Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
Silent Night
A little Concert-Suite
Intrada
Siciliana
Scherzo
Gigue
Acclamation! A Global Greeting for Winds'
Canto E Camdombe
Choral Prelude In E Minor
Concertino for Marimbaphon and Winds
Nocturne
Scherzetto
Toccata
Concerto for Trumpet and Winds
Curtain Up! (A Theater Overture for Winds)
Danza Caribe
Evolutions
East And West - The Kohoku New Town March
Golden Jubilee
Highlights from Exodus (arr.)
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (arr.)
Jidai - Year Of Years!
Millennium
Music in the Air!
O Little Town based on "O Little Town of Bethlehem" - for Choral Ensemble and Concert Band
O Most Wonderful for Choral Ensemble and Concert Band
Ode for Trumpet for Trumpet and Band
Poetry and Power
Rosalind in the Forest of Arden
Seascape for Euphonium solo and Band
Serenade
Serenade for Clarinet and Band
Siciliana Notturno for Alto-Saxophone and Concert Band
Silver Shadow (Concert March)
Slavonic Folk Suite for SATB Chorus (optional) and Band
Children's Carol
Cathedral Chorus
Sleepers, Awake! (arr.)
Symphonic Prelude
The Big East March
The Crowning Glory
The Enchanted Island
The Golden Years
Twelfth Night A Musical Masque after William Shakespeare
Prelude: Illyria
Viola and Orsino
The Merry Conspirators
Malvolio's Lament in “Prison”
V A Double Wedding, and All's Well!
Two Bagatelles
Victory! (Concert March for Winds)
With Trumpets and Drums for drums, trumpet, voice, and band
Works for choir and orchestra
All Hall to the Days, Christian Madrigal for harp, piano or guitar in score, strings, mixed choir
The Pledge of Allegiance for mixed choir and orchestra
Chamber music
1954 Organ Meditations for solo organ
1983 Two Bagatelles for trombone quartet
Double Wind Quintet
Havana Moon for Clarinet Choir (3 bb, Alto, Bass, CBass), Percussion, Strings Bass
Pastorale for Clarinet and Piano
Scherzo Fantastique for Bass, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabass, Piano, Woodwinds
Siciliana Notturno for Solo Alto-Saxophone, Piano, Saxophone, Voice, Woodwinds
Trilogue, Scherzo for Double Bass, Vibraphone, Marimba
External links
Alfred Reed Collection - Special Collections in Performing Arts at the University of Maryland Libraries
Alfred Reed interview, December 16, 1986
1921 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American composers
20th-century classical composers
20th-century American male musicians
American classical composers
American male classical composers
Baylor University alumni
Classical musicians from New York (state)
Concert band composers
Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients
Composers from New York City
University of Miami faculty
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II