Threnody

A threnody is a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person (synonyms include dirge, coronach, lament, and elegy). The term originates from the Greek word threnoidia, from threnos (lament) + oide (song). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root wed- (to speak) that is also the forefather of such words as ode, tragedy, comedy, parody, melody, and rhapsody.

Examples of threnodies include Krzysztof Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Bright Sheng's Nanjing! Nanjing! and Lou Harrison's "Threnody for Carlos Chavez". Two classic jazz threnodies are I Remember Clifford, written to honour the memory of Clifford Brown and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" written by Charles Mingus in memory of Lester Young.