Day 17-Patriotic Tribute (2007)—Henry Dorn
June 17, 2025
Recording: https://www.henryldorn.com/patriotic-tribute
I first encountered Henry Dorn’s music in March when the St. Olaf Band opened their CBDNA performance with Out of the Shadows. That piece resonated deeply, and so did Dorn’s compositional voice. Curious, I dug further and found Patriotic Tribute, a high Grade 4 work that blends American musical tradition with powerful historical reflection.
Patriotic Tribute honors two legacies. First, it pays homage to Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, founded a decade after the Little Rock Nine to promote racial integration. That mission continues today. Second, it celebrates the sound and spirit of Americana, culminating in powerful allusions to Stars and Stripes Forever and Lift Every Voice and Sing.
The eight-minute work unfolds in five sections, each grounded in variation and development. It begins with dark, jazz-inflected harmonies drawn from the school’s alma mater, an evocative opening filled with weight and reverence. A brisk accelerando then launches into a spirited march built on material from the school’s fight song, based on the trio from Karl King’s Night Flight.
The mood then shifts: earlier material returns in a slow dirge, now transformed and reflective. A bright flute soli lifts us into part four, which plays like a hard-won victory march. Dorn structures the work with a slow-fast-slow-fast-slow tempo arch, weaving in hints of Sousa and the African American National Anthem as the piece gathers patriotic momentum. The finale is grand and joyful, timpani, cymbals, chimes, and bells ring out like a concert-in-the-park celebration on Independence Day.
What makes this piece so compelling is how Dorn weaves history, purpose, and patriotism into a unified musical narrative. Even on repeated listens, I kept discovering new details and thematic echoes. Patriotic Tribute is thoughtful, surprising, and emotionally rich. It’s a joy to study, and I imagine an even greater joy to perform.