Today's Trooping the Colour Ceremony 2013

[Petrushka]

Here here! They played the Grand march from Rienzi(Wagner) today; just to make apoint?

John Philip Sousa said 'A good march should want to make a one-legged man step out' and we heard some fine examples today. Sousa and Alford are the best known composers in this particular genre but there are many terrific marches from lesser hands such as Leslie Statham (aka Arnold Steck) which deserve greater recognition away from the parade ground. There are dozens of them which are instantly recognisable and I am very fond of them.

Here's one which I particularly like, the March of the Belgian Paratroopers by Pierre Leemans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tr1KUUZvA

Once heard never forgotten.

[BBMmk2]

John Philip Sousa said 'A good march should want to make a one-legged man step out' and we heard some fine examples today. Sousa and Alford are the best known composers in this particular genre but there are many terrific marches from lesser hands such as Leslie Statham (aka Arnold Steck) which deserve greater recognition away from the parade ground. There are dozens of them which are instantly recognisable and I am very fond of them.

Here's one which I particularly like, the March of the Belgian Paratroopers by Pierre Leemans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tr1KUUZvA

Once heard never forgotten.

There's a lot indeed! Naxos has served us well here.

[Pabmusic]

John Philip Sousa said 'A good march should want to make a one-legged man step out' and we heard some fine examples today. Sousa and Alford are the best known composers in this particular genre but there are many terrific marches from lesser hands such as Leslie Statham (aka Arnold Steck) which deserve greater recognition away from the parade ground. There are dozens of them which are instantly recognisable and I am very fond of them.

Here's one which I particularly like, the March of the Belgian Paratroopers by Pierre Leemans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tr1KUUZvA

Once heard never forgotten.

One of the best! Good trio tune.

[Hornspieler]

John Philip Sousa said 'A good march should want to make a one-legged man step out' and we heard some fine examples today. Sousa and Alford are the best known composers in this particular genre but there are many terrific marches from lesser hands such as Leslie Statham (aka Arnold Steck) which deserve greater recognition away from the parade ground. There are dozens of them which are instantly recognisable and I am very fond of them.

Here's one which I particularly like, the March of the Belgian Paratroopers by Pierre Leemans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tr1KUUZvA

Once heard never forgotten.

The late Alan Civil was not only a fine horn player, but a talented cartoonist and musical arranger (Frank Chacksfield benefited from a lot of his works)

When in the RA Band, he wrote a march called "Beethoven on Parade"

It opened with the 6/8 theme of the seventh symphony first movement exposition and the middle section was the start of the violin concerto - daah daah ¦dahdaah da ¦da da da da¦ BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM¦ and so on .....

(He also wrote a waltz selection called "Schoenberg in the Ballroom" (in the style of Charles Ancliffe's ouvre of that name)

For me, Kenneth Alford (Major Fred Ricketts RM) is the one to admire. 'Voice of the Guns' and 'The Standard of St George' spring to mind.

HS (Happy father and grandfather today)

[BBMmk2]

Lt Col Sir Vivian Dun KCVO, wass another who wrote and composed marches. Cockleshell heroes was one. And he kinew Akford very well too. He said to me once that the reason why Aklford rote the two semi quaver quaver rhythm at the start of Army of the Nile, was that he thought be different done that way rather than the usual quaver and two semi quaver rhythm, which is usually heard.

[Petrushka]

Lt Col Sir Vivian Dun KCVO, wass another who wrote and composed marches. Cockleshell heroes was one. And he kinew Akford very well too. He said to me once that the reason why Aklford rote the two semi quaver quaver rhythm at the start of Army of the Nile, was that he thought be different done that way rather than the usual quaver and two semi quaver rhythm, which is usually heard.

I agree that Sir Vivian Dunn's Cockleshell Heroes March (written for the film) is a cracker. Mention of Kenneth Alford leads me to recall a famous march attributed to his brother, R R Ricketts, who composed under the name of Leo Stanley, called The Contemptibles heard at the Cenotaph every Remembrance Sunday.

Are any other marches known by him? It is such a good one I wonder if Alford wrote it instead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciVFbH8Jw-M

My favourite march composer away from Alford and Sousa must be Arnold Steck (aka Leslie Statham) who wrote some real crackers including the one used as the original theme for Match of the Day. The Wimbledon theme sounds like his as well. Can someone confirm?

My all-time favourite military march has to be Fame and Glory written by Albert Matt in 1941 and is another heard at the Cenotaph. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8k7azjOu2Y

[Pabmusic]

I too think that Kenneth Alford's are the best - the most consistently inspired and cleverly written. He had a flair for counterpoint! Sousa wrote so much that the very great marches can lose their edge sometimes.

I'm quite fond of two lesser known march composers. Firstly, Wilhelm Zehle (1876-1956), who wrote Viscount Nelson, Wellington, Trafalgar, Army and Marine and many others. Secondly (and even more so) Robert Browne Hall (1858-1907) a contemporary of Sousa, who lived all his life in Maine but who is often believed by British bands to have been English, because several of his best have been more successful over here - Officer Of The Day, Death Or Glory, New Colonial and the phenomenally difficult General Mitchell. He wrote more than 70 marches.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Fučík

[Pabmusic]

Fučík

Indeed!

But what composer were you suggesting?

[salymap]

I rather like the 'RAF March Past by Sir Walford Davies. It was played a lot during WW2.

Pretty brisk marching required though.....

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Indeed!

But what composer were you suggesting?

this one

i did catch most of the ceremonies on the highlights yesterday evening; thought the quick ones were best .... splendid playing

[Petrushka]

I rather like the 'RAF March Past by Sir Walford Davies. It was played a lot during WW2.

Pretty brisk marching required though.....

Didn't George Dyson have a hand in composing this? Either WD wrote the march and GD the trio or the other way round.

[Pabmusic]

I rather like the 'RAF March Past by Sir Walford Davies. It was played a lot during WW2.

Pretty brisk marching required though.....

Here's something that's not so well known.

Walford Davies was the first Director of Music of the RAF when it was formed at the end of WW1. He wrote the RAF March during that time and it quotes the bugle calls of the RFC and RNAS, the two arms from which the RAF was formed. But it was much shorter than it is now, not having the broad tune in the middle. That was added by the RAF's second Director of Music, George Dyson.

This story didn't come out until Dyson died in the early 1960s. There has been at least one new edition of the music which gives the composer as "Henry Walford Davies and George Dyson".

[Serial_Apologist]

John Philip Sousa said 'A good march should want to make a one-legged man step out' [...]

Once heard never forgotten.

Indeed!

[salymap]

Here's something that's not so well known.



Walford Davies was the first Director of Music of the RAF when it was formed at the end of WW1. He wrote the RAF March during that time and it quotes the bugle calls of the RFC and RNAS, the two arms from which the RAF was formed. But it was much shorter than it is now, not having the broad tune in the middle. That was added by the RAF's second Director of Music, George Dyson.

This story didn't come out until Dyson died in the early 1960s. There has been at least one new edition of the music which gives the composer as "Henry Walford Davies and George Dyson".

No I last heard it pre 1960 and didn't know that. Thanks.