Alfred Reed Fantasy on “Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair” for Woodwind Choir

[Sylvia]

Has anyone played this?
All the you tube videos say Symphonic Prelude…., and there’s no harp in them. Is it the same piece?

[andee-craig]

I play my own version of Black is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair. Don’t know if it’s the same version as the one you mentioned. It’s a traditional Scottish (maybe Irish?) song. Christy Moore does the most famous version of it which mine is based on.

[andee-craig]

It’s a really simple melody, if you’re not good at picking it up by ear you can find the notes online somewhere like I did. I do it in Eminor.

[Sylvia]

This is a composition by Alfred Reed for band. It is for woodwind choir and harp. The arrangement is quite weird.

[alexandra-baldwin]

I looked at the Hal Leonard website (the current publisher,) and there is no harp listed in the instrumentation of Reed’s arrangement, so maybe no? I’ve played a lot of Reed in my time as a flutist, and there was never a harp part that I can recall in any of his pieces (but then again, we didn’t have someone to play for us, so maybe it was just left out.)

[Sylvia]

But was it titled the Fantasy on Black….for woodwind choir or A Symphonic Prelude on Black….?
The Fantasy does indeed have harp…I have the part. It is for just woodwinds and harp.
The Prelude on you tube shows people playing brass, etc….so I’m figuring it’s not the same arrangement.

[Sylvia]

What I’m wondering is….like is it the same construction… # of measures, etc., only with reduced instrumentation?

I’m guessing it doesn’t get a lot of plays.
I’m hoping it sounds better than my part, which has lots of accidentals and a couple of nasty little sections (like with one note in each hand….looking very piano-ish either with different rhythms or contrary motion).

I’m disappointed because I was expecting something very pretty, like what the song is. Guess I’ll find out in Jan. when rehearsals start.

[kreig-kitts]

The Wind Repertory Project lists the Symphonic Prelude as the one title like that by him with symphonic band instrumentation and no harp. I imagine you have a version somebody arranged. Is there a note on the part, multile copyright dates that wouldn’t be explained by regular renewal, or another name somewhere? They probably took the orchestral bells and wrote it over for harp. Could you imagine the part being played on mallet percussion?
@http://www.windrep.org/Symphonic_Prelude_Based_on_Black_Is_the_Color_of_My_True_Love%27s_Hair

[Sylvia]

Nope, only Al’s name is on it on the right side of the page….and Harp over on the left side.
The title is exactly as I have written it above.

Published in MCMLXXIII by Piedmont Music Company, Inc.
I think that translates to 1973.

[alexandra-baldwin]

Wow! Maybe it is out of print and that’s why no one lists it? Maybe everyone else thought it was weird too (although, I like Reed’s music, to play. On flute, that is!)

[MusikFind1]

REED, Alfred (1921-2005)
Fantasy on BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVE’S HAIR
Woodwind choir and harp (1973) # W215.
Written for Charles Bradley, Atlanta All-City Woodwind Choir.
Pub: PIEDMONT / Edward B. Marks Music Company
Not listed at
Contact them for the current status of the score and parts.

REED, Alfred (1921-2005) –
Symphonic Prelude.
Subtitle: Based on “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”
Pub: PIEDMONT / Edward B. Marks Music Company (1963) #W13
Dur: 5:45
Agent: HAL Leonard 7029.
Concert Band for sale. $85.00

[MusikFind1]

Email forward:

From: E.B. Marks [mailto:ebmarks@carlinamerica.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 1:21 PM
To: Clinton F. Nieweg
Subject: Re: Alfred Reed Fantasy

Dear Mr. Nieweg,
If this was a publication, then it is indeed currently out of print. If it is out of print we can make a special copy if found on site. If not found on site then we would need to charge an archive search fee, as we would need to have boxes from our warehouse delivered to us for combing. Another route would be to find an existing library or other copy and write us for permission to make a photocopy of that. In any event, any transaction concerning the arrangement would need to go through us. I appreciate your contacting us.

If you have any additional information about the arrangement, or a copy of the first page of music, please let me know. Meanwhile, I will look for the arrangement in our offices.

Best regards,
Evan Hause

General Manager
E. B. Marks Music Company
c/o Carlin America, Inc.
126 E. 38th Street
New York, NY 10016

tel: (212) 779-7977

[Sylvia]

Here is the dress rehearsal, in case anyone else plays it. They can come here to listen to it.

[Author]

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