Orchestral Works
Chaconne and Burlesque (1960) 
12 min.
3,3,3,3; 4/3/3/1; timp., perc., piano/celeste, harp; strings
Commissioned by the Utica Symphony, the finely-crafted haunting Chaconne is balanced by a jaunty, irreverent Burlesque.
Elegy for String Orchestra (1963) 6 min.
Written in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, this moving work is greatly esteemed for its rich string sonorities as well as its deep expressivity. Often programmed for regular concert use as well as to mark the passing of notables. Recorded by the Houston Symphony (CRI-SD 347)
Fanfare and Celebration (1980) 4 ½ min.
Version A: 4,4,4,4; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp (2); strings
Version B: 3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp (2); strings
Commissioned by the Houston Symphony, this work is fast becoming one of the standard American Overtures. Sweeping strings and brilliant brasses combine to make an exceptionally effective concert opener, especially for the program, which needs a big but short first work.
Festival Fanfare (1964) 1 ¼ min.
5 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
Commissioned by the American Symphony Orchestra League, this exciting fanfare uses the entire brass section to create a powerful sense of expectation and importance for events about to take place. Used for years to herald the opening of the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, it has been performed on numerous other ceremonial occasions.
Hymn to the Earth: Suite no. 1 from 'Roundings' (2002) 13:30
No. 1 from the symphonic suite
In Retrospect (1959) 8 min.
2,2,2,2; 2,2,1,0; timp., glock; strings
Written for chamber orchestra, this is a prevailingly soft mood-piece with a predominantly nostalgic tone. Inspired by I Corinthians 13:11 ("When I was a child, I spoke as a child . . . but when I became a man, I put away childish things.")
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1972) 16 min.
3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp; strings; optional off-stage flute choir
Inspired by the James Agee classic, this oft-performed work has entered the repertory as one of the late 20th century's most effective statement of Americana. Based on seven folk hymns from The Sacred Harp and other old hymnals, it is a moving evocation of America's past. Recorded by the Houston Symphony, the composer conducting (CRI-SD 347)
Listen Now, My Children (1985) 8 ½ min.
3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp; strings
Based on Texas children's folk songs sung a century ago, this ebullient overture turns the entire violin section into a large fiddler's jamboree in the course of its memory-laden portrayal of America's Southwest.
Machines: Suite no. 2 from 'Roundings' (2002) 13'
No. 2 from the symphonic suite
The Open Range: Suite no. 3 from 'Roundings' (2002) 14:30
No. 3 from the symphonic suite
Overture for a City (1964) 8 ½ min.
3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp; strings
A sunny, extroverted overture whose excitement and lyricism have brought it many repeat performances. Composed for the Saginaw Symphony, this work possesses a universality transcending the city of its origin.
Roundings: Musings and Meditations on Texas New Deal Murals (2002) 41'
symphonic suite
A Symphonic Requiem (Variations on a Theme of Howard Hanson) (1983) 22 min.
3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., harp; strings
This work is based on the celebrated principal theme from Hanson's Second Symphony, the "Romantic". Each variation corresponding to a section of the Requiem Mass, the work portrays the emotional curve of the liturgy as it leads from grief and anger to ultimate comfort and resolution.
Symphony No. 1 (1960) 27 min.
3,3,3,3; 4,3,3,1; timp., perc., piano-celeste, harp; strings.
This youthful symphony shows Jones' early mastery of the form and orchestration. A gregarious, sweeping work, it alternates moments of reflective beauty with passages of driving intensity, all under-girded with Jones' distinctive harmonic palette and embellished by his melodic gift.
SELECTED OTHER WORKS
OPERA
A Christmas Memory (Based on a story by Truman Capote) (1982) 68 min.
CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA
The Trumpet of the Swan (text by Eudora Welty) (1985) 22 min.
CHORUS AND BAND
Contours of Time (text by Norman Lowrey) (1975) 12 min. Comp.
VOICE
Four Haiku for Americans, songs for mezzo-soprano and piano (1959) 6 min. Comp.
(Poetry by John Stone)
UNACCOMPANIED CELLO AND NARRATOR
Spaces (text by Norman Lowrey) (1975) 22 min. CF
UNACCOMPANIED VIOLA
Sonata (in the style of J. S. Bach) (1960) 16 min. Comp.
SOLO PIANO
Sonata (1961) 18 min. Comp.
STRING QUARTET
Discussions (1958) 6 min. Comp.
