The Hounds of Spring

The Hounds of Spring is a concert overture for concert band, written by the American composer, Alfred Reed in 1980.

Reed was inspired by the poem Atalanta in Calydon  (1865), by Victorian era English poet, Algernon Charles Swinburne, a recreation in modern English verse of an ancient Greek tragedy. According to Reed himself, the poem's magical picture of young love in springtime, forms the basis for his musical setting in traditional three-part overture form. It was Reed's desire to capture the dual elements of the poem - high-spirited youthful jauntiness and the innocence of tender love.

The Hounds of Spring was commissioned by, and dedicated to, the John L. Forster Secondary School Concert Band of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and its director, Gerald Brown. The world premiere was in Windsor on May 8, 1980, conducted by the composer, and has remained a staple of the wind band literature since.

Instrumentation
The piece is scored for:


 * Woodwinds:
 * Piccolo
 * 2 Flutes
 * 2 Oboes
 * Cor anglais
 * 2 Bassoons
 * Contrabassoon
 * Clarinet in E♭
 * 3 Clarinets in B♭
 * Alto clarinet in E♭
 * Bass clarinet in B♭
 * Contrabass clarinet in B♭
 * 2 Alto saxophones
 * Tenor saxophone
 * Baritone saxophone


 * Brass :
 * 3 Trumpets
 * 2 Cornets
 * 4 Horns in F
 * 2 Tenor trombones
 * Bass trombone
 * Baritone
 * Euphonium
 * Tuba


 * Strings :
 * String bass


 * Percussion :
 * Snare Drum
 * Bass Drum
 * Crash Cymbals
 * Bells
 * Triangle
 * Vibraphone
 * Xylophone