Arthur Wellesley Hughes

Canadian composer, band arranger and instrumentalist born Eastern Ontario ca 1870, Died New York (?) ca 1945. Little is known about Hughes' musical background except that he played the piano and a brass instrument, at one time operated the steam calliope for Barnum's Circus, and was a teacher of L.F. Addison. At the turn of the century, he began editing and arranging for a succession of music publishers, including Whaley Royce in Toronto, Waterloo in Waterloo, Ont, and Cundy-Bettoney in Boston. Hughes was one of Canada's most prolific writers of marches and dance music, producing ca 1890-1930 some 50 published works and numerous arrangements. Typical are United Empire March, In Old Quebec, The Rosedale Three-Step, Hail Edward VII, and March of the Allies. He frequently used the pseudonyms Arthur Wellesley and H.W. Arthurs. His publishers included Anglo-Canadian, W.H. Billing, Cundy-Bettoney, A.H. Goetting, W.H. Hodgins, W.F. Shaw, H.H. Sparks, Gordon V. Thompson, Waterloo, and Whaley Royce. Recordings of his compositions for band were issued on the Columbia, Pathé, Victor, and other labels (see Roll Back the Years).

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