[citation needed] Reed was commissioned to write a piece of "Russian music" for a concert in Denver, Colorado.
The concert's aim was to improve Soviet-American relations; as such, it was to include premieres of new Soviet and American works.
The piece was first performed on December 12, 1944, on nationally broadcast NBC radio.
As it was written to convey the sounds of Eastern Orthodox liturgical music, which uses the human voice exclusively, the entire piece must be played with some lyrical and singing quality.
Slavonic Folk Suite is Reed's arrangement of Carol of the Little Russian Children (here called Children's Carol) and Cathedral Chorus for a younger, less experienced band.