A Jubilant Overture

Alfred Reed

A Jubilant Overture was written in the spring of 1969. It has no program or descriptive basis of any kind, except, possibly, the natural ebul- lience of young spirits during the loveliest season of the year.

This piece is cast in traditional three-part overture form. It begins with a rousing allegro con brio statement of three related themes in quick succession. A broad, singing middle section derived from one of the opening themes follows. The music then returns to its origi- nal tempo and mood, plunging on to a brilliant coda.

Alfred Reed (1901-2005) was born in New York City. Acquainted with symphonic and operatic repertoire from an early age, he played trumpet professionally in the Catskills while still in high school. During WWII he was a member of the Air Force where he com- posed over 100 works. He studied at Juilliard and became a staff composer and arranger with NBC, and subsequently ABC. He became conductor of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra and later worked as a music editor at a publishing firm. He taught at the University of Miami for 27 years. After retiring he continued to compose. He made numerous appearances as a guest conductor in many nations, most notably Japan, until his death last year.

Last updated on March 6, 2020 by Palatine Concert Band