Armenian Dances

Armenian Dances is a musical piece for concert band, written by Alfred Reed (1921–2005). It is a four-movement suite of which Part I comprises the first movement and Part II comprises the remaining three. Each part consists of a number of Armenian folk songs from the collection of Komitas Vardapet (1869–1935), an Armenian ethnomusicologist.
Part I.
Armenian Dances (Part I) was completed in the summer of 1972 and first performed by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band on January 10, 1973. The piece is dedicated to Dr. Harry Begian, the director of that ensemble. The work includes five distinct sections:
Part II.
Armenian Dances (Part II) was again dedicated to Dr. Harry Begian, and was premiered on April 4, 1976, in Urbana, Illinois, by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band, Dr. Begian conducting. Part II consists of three movements, each based upon a single Armenian folk song.