Arthur Wellesley Hughes
From Marchdb.net
1870–1950
Arthur Wellesley Hughes (1870–1950) was a Canadian musician and composer. Born in Kingston, Ontario, he separated from his family at a young age, spending many years in the United States as an itinerant circus musician. He was a performer on piano, calliope, and alto horn. His circus associations on record include: Mighty Haag, Downie & Wheeler Circus (1912); Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus (1922); Sells-Floto Circus (1923); and Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows (1924-26). He was with Robbins Bros. Circus (1928-29) whence his Robbins Bros. Triumphal March arose, and Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show, and Walter L. Main Circus (1930-31). Hughes worked as composer and arranger for the Waterloo Music Company of Waterloo, Ontario, from 1932-1935.
At other times, Hughes worked as arranger in the Whaley, Royce and Cundy-Bettoney publishing houses. According to his own account, Hughes wrote band music in the USA for much of his life, under various pen names, including Arthur Wellesley and H W Arthur. It has not been determined what all of his pseudonyms were, and thus many of his works remain unaccounted for.
In his 70s, Hughes returned to Kansas, which he considered his home. It is reported that he died in an indigent ward in a New York City hospital in 1950.
Marches composed by Arthur Wellesley Hughes
- Ambassador March (1897)
- Aquitania March (1915)
- Carry On March (1940)
- Champlain March (1923)
- Charter of Liberty March (1921)
- Comrades All March (1921)
- Corinthian March (1895)
- The Dawn of Peace March (1920)
- Del Rio March (1925)
- Dufferin March (1910)
- Fond du Lac March (1913)
- Fort Garry March (1911)
- Fraternity March
- Greater Boston March
- Hail Edward VII
- Hospitality March (1930)
- In the Lead March (1930)
- In Old Quebec March (1908)
- Italia Giovinezza March Medley (1928)
- Little Bugler (1930)
- Mediterranean March (1925)
- Our Commonwealth March (1940)
- Our Pilot March (1940)
- The Proclamation March (1918)
- Red Deer March (1911)
- Reign of Peace March (1894)
- St Augustine March (1895)
- St Julien March (1918)
- Salute to the Adjutant March (1927)
- Salute to Buffalo March (1901)
- Salute to Mars March (1895)
- Tipperary Tommy March (1916)
- The Tournament March (1894)
- United Empire March (1897)
- Utility March (1929)
- Veteran Brigade March (1940)
- Ye Old Tyme March
Composed under the name of O.A. Gilson:
- Robbins Bros. Triumphal March (1928)
- Vindicator Concert March
