Kenneth J. Alford

Kenneth J. Alford ( born February 21, 1881 in London, † May 15, 1945 in Reigate, real name Frederick Joseph Ricketts ) was a British military musician and composer.

  • 2.1 Complete list of published works
  • 2.2 Unpublished Works (selection)

Biography

At the age of 14 years Alford lost his parents. An incorrect age, he managed to be included already in his early years in the Army, where he worked as a military musician. It was founded in 1895 the Royal Irish Regiment assigned. There he played mainly piano and organ. During his service he was employed for some time in India. He then studied orchestral conducting at the Royal Military School of Music. In 1908 he became head of the chapel of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment. In 1927 he left the army and became music director of the Royal Marines. After almost 50 years in service with the British military to Alford 1944 withdrew into retirement. At this time his health was already badly damaged. He died just a year later.

Pseudonym

Ricketts composed exclusively under the pseudonym Kenneth J. Alford and was known internationally by that name. The name is derived from the first name of his eldest son Kenneth, from Ricketts middle name Joseph (J. ) and the maiden name of his mother, Alford.

Work

He composed a number of marches for military ensembles. Particularly noteworthy is his fine feeling for the right instrumentation, the impressive use of certain instruments and his sometimes unusual counter- melodies. And thus you see in H. M. Jollies in honor of the Royal Marines, the Sailor 's Hornpipe and Rule Britannia, as well as in Eagle Squadron, which was written in honor of the Americans who have helped out in the Royal Air Force, the American national anthem. Often Alford's marches as the British response to the work of the famous American march music composer John Philip Sousa are called. His most famous marches are probably the Colonel Bogey March, Army of the Nile ( dedicated to the British Field Marshal Archibald Wavell ) and On the Quarterdeck.

Full List of published works

  • Marches Holyrood (1912 )
  • The Vedette (1912 )
  • Colonel Bogey (1914 )
  • The Great Little Army ( 1916)
  • On the Quarter Deck ( 1917)
  • The Middy (1917 )
  • The Voice of the Guns (1917 )
  • The Vanished Army ( 1919)
  • The Mad Major ( 1921)
  • Cavalry of the Clouds (1923 )
  • The Thin Red Line ( 1925)
  • Dunedin ( 1928)
  • Old Panama (1929 )
  • H. M. Jollies (1929 )
  • The Standard of St. George (1930 )
  • By Land and Sea (1941 )
  • Army of the Nile. (1941 )
  • Eagle Squadron (1942 )
  • Other Valse Riviera ( 1910)
  • Thoughts (Walzer, 1917)
  • A Musical Switch ( Humoresque, 1921)
  • The Two Imps ( Xylophone or Cornet duet, 1923)
  • The Lightning Switch (fantasy, 1924)
  • Mac and Mac (xylophone solo or duet, 1928)
  • The Smithy ( Pastoral Fantasy, 1933)
  • The Two Dons (xylophone duet, 1933)
  • Colonel Bogey on Parade (marching Fantasy, 1939)
  • The Hunt ( Rhapsody, 1940)
  • Lilliburlero (1942 )
  • A Life on the Ocean Wave ( regimental march, 1944)
  • Wedded whimsies ( Humoresque, Dat. Unbek )

The year refers to the publication date.

Unpublished Works (selection)

  • Classical and opera arrangements Mephistofeles ( Boito )
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream ( Felix Mendelssohn )
  • Capriccio Italien ( Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky )
  • Carmen (Georges Bizet )
  • Madame Butterfly ( Giacomo Puccini )
  • Samson and Delilah ( Camille Saint- Saëns )
  • Orpheus in the Underworld (Jacques Offenbach)
  • Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 ( Liszt )
  • Aida ( Giuseppe Verdi)
  • Other August Bank Holiday 1914
  • For Service Overseas
  • Ancient Scottish Melodies
  • Nursery Rhymes and Carols
  • Ceremonial March on Purcell 's Works
  • Old English Air ( Saxophone Quartet)
  • Walt Disney's Silly Symphony
  • Dunedin, New Zealand (fantasy )
March (music) Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell Madama Butterfly Henry Purcell Integrated Authority File
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