An American Elegy – A Tribute to Lives Lost
A video honoring the lives lost at the Oklahoma City attack, 9/11, Columbine, and the Challenger & Columbia shuttle disasters. I personally shot all the video you see from the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and all the other images were found on the internet. This slideshow was shown while Frank Ticheli’s “An American Elegy” was played live by the Putnam City North High School Band in the Spring of 2005. This piece was written exclusively for Columbine, you can read that in the composer’s notes…but being from Oklahoma City myself and constructing this video shortly after the Columbia disaster…I felt compelled to make this a truly AMERICAN elegy honoring all lives lost. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments. If anyone else would like to use this video as a background slideshow to a live performance, I’d be happy to provide you a full copy of the original. Contact me at supermanofokc@gmail.com -Zach Tanner
February 24th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Most of my family and some of my frinds live in Oklahoma, they weren’t affected by the bombing though, which was a relief but I’ve also been to the memorial. My school, Milton High School, is playing this piece for our LGPE concert. Probably one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever played (trombone)
February 24th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
this song does have words. every note speaks.
February 24th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
we’re doing this song in my high school band, at first i thought that it was going to be another boring song, but then i read up about the columbine shooting, and it has completely changed the way i look at this piece, i cant even put how i feel about the piece into words…
February 24th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I love how this work is orchestrated. I also have this exact recording on one of Frank Ticheli’s CDs. The parts themselves are not really that difficult, but the hardest aspect of it is maintaining good tone quality and intonation. And it’s not a “song” people. Songs have words.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I think this song and second symphony by james barnes are the two songs that both convey so much honest emotions..
February 24th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
My high school in Bayard New Mexico is playing this song
My band has 11 straight state championships n going for 12th
(Clarinet)
February 24th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
this and lux aurumque were the 2 most beautiful songs ive ever herd/played (tubist)
February 24th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
were playing this now and weve worked on it for so long i love it so much especially with the part of the columbine school song in it. i play alto sax and i love this song so much it has so many moments where its just like…wow
February 24th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
This is one of the most beautiful songs and one of my favorites to play as a musician myself. It is so heartwarming and so emotional when it gets to the trumpet solo. That part always gives me a little tear in my eye.
Thank you for posting up this great montage.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
This is such an amazing song. The emotions are just overwhelming. Wow
February 24th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I am also an oboist and I love this song, but the emotions that are expressed in this peice are almost too much to handle
February 25th, 2010 at 12:18 am
well, it shouldnt make you happy…..
February 25th, 2010 at 12:25 am
We played this song last year in our symphonic band, and being an oboist, I cannot even begin to describe how happy this piece made me.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:01 am
We played this song last year for concert band. It makes me cry whenever I listen to it since it is such a beautiful piece.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:44 am
We’re playing this song for our spring concert, which happens to be on the anniversary of Columbine. Beautiful song.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:47 am
same here, my director told us about the dedication and then we sight read it, after the piece he says, “feel that in one of your AP classes(he is always emphasizing how band is more important than our school’s academic record)” and i was lik, wow so tru, it is a truely moving piece
February 25th, 2010 at 2:43 am
Sight-read this the other day in band. It gives me serious chills. Beautiful, I love it.
February 25th, 2010 at 2:56 am
@SirSnevets I’m uploading a video of our performance of that as I type this. Honor Band was great this year, and this piece was so moving.
February 25th, 2010 at 2:59 am
We played this tonight at the University of Arizona Junior/Senior Honor Band. It was moving. Prof. Hansen, Director of Bands at the U of A was conducting, and we had a beautiful horn section. It was the best Horn section I have ever played with. A beautiful build, the horns came in, the best high school horn section in the country. We were putting everything we had into it, everyone was giving it their best, You could hear the emotion, we were not just playing it, we set a standard tonight.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:39 am
@JKuperson i played it in high school as well. and even sitting there playing it I got chills. it’s a wonderful wonderful song.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:44 am
We played this song in my high school concert band
It’s such a beautiful song
February 25th, 2010 at 4:24 am
Beautifully done.
…and yes, this score is breath stopping
however your experience it.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:45 am
I’m in 9th grade and I’m in my middle school’s Wind Ensamble and we’re going to play this for our upcoming concert and it sounds beautiful. We’re dropping down a screen in front of us and playing either this video or another one. Everytime we play this song, I think of all of the disasters we’ve had and the family I’ve lost in some of them. AKA 9/11 and the Columbine.
Beautiful video <3
February 25th, 2010 at 4:58 am
i played this in high school i played the tuba and it was just one of the most beautiful peices ever and it will allways be my favorite band peice ever
February 25th, 2010 at 5:28 am
i love this song. when i was in high we played it. I cry every time i here it
great video. well done.