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 Circus Mighty Haag Circus was started by American entrepreneur Ernest Haag (17 June 1866 - 1 Feb. 1935) in Shreveport, Louisiana.

, Downie & Wheeler Circus (1912); Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus (1922);

Sells-Floto Circus The Sells Floto Circus was a combination of the Floto Dog & Pony Show and the Sells Brothers Circus that toured with sideshow acts in the United States during the early 1900s. History Frederick Gilmer Bonfils and Harry Heye Tammen owned the firs ...

(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 The Waterloo Music Company was a Canadian music publishing and musical instrument retailing firm that was founded in 1921 by Charles F. Thiele in Waterloo, Ontario. During its more than eight decade history, the company published works by a large ...

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. 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.

Compositions

Names in parentheses are publishers and copyright dates. ;Composed under the name A W Hughes * Aces High Galop (unpublished manuscript) * Ambassador March (Mace Gay 1897) * Aquitania March (Cundy Bettoney 1915) * Belle of Coontown Dance (Mace Gay 1895) * Canada, Land of Liberty Medley * Canadian Patriots Medley (Waterloo 1930) * Carry On March (Cundy Bettoney 1940) * Chain Lightning Galop (unpublished manuscript) * Champlain March (Cundy Bettoney 1923) * Charter of Liberty March (Cundy Bettoney 1921) * Circus Echoes Galop (C L Barnhouse 1928) * Comrades All March (Cundy Bettoney 1921) * Corinthian March (Mace Gay 1895) * Darkey's Connundrum - song & dance (Mace Gay 1895) * The Dawn of Peace March (Cundy-Bettoney 1920) * Del Rio March (Cundy Bettoney 1925) * Dufferin March (Whaley, Royce 1910) * Echoes from the Harem (Cundy-Bettoney 1917) * Eventide (Walter Jacobs 1923) * Fond du Lac March (Cundy-Bettoney 1913) * Fort Garry March (Whaley, Royce 1911) * Fraternity March (unpublished manuscript) * Greater Boston March (unpublished manuscript) * Hail Edward VII * Hospitality March (Waterloo 1930) * In the Lead March (Waterloo 1930) * In Old Quebec March (Whaley, Royce 1908) * Italia Giovinezza March Medley (Cundy-Bettoney 1928) * Little Bugler (Karl King 1930) * Mediterranean March (H C Miller 1925) * Novelette (Cundy-Bettoney 1917) * Novelty Overture (Karl King 1930) * Our Commonwealth March (Cundy-Bettoney 1940) * Our Pilot March (Cundy-Bettoney 1940) * The Proclamation March (Cundy-Bettoney 1918) * Red Deer March (Whaley,Royce 1911) * Reign of Peace March (Whaley, Royce 1894) * The Rosedale Three Step * Rose Festival Waltz (Waterloo 1931) * St Augustine March (Mace Gay 1895) * St. Julien March (Cundy-Bettoney 1918) – Currently is one of Hughes best and well-known marches which is at present, commonly played at parades involving the United States Armed Forces and halftime drill performances by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band on Kyle Field. * Salute to the Adjutant March (Ditson 1927) * Salute to Buffalo March (Whaley, Royce 1901) * Salute to Mars March (Mace Gay 1895) * Spark Plug Galop (unpublished manuscript) * Tipperary Tommy March (Whaley, Royce 1916) * The Tournament March (Whaley Royce 1894) * Unique Overture (Karl King 1929) * United Empire March (Whaley, Royce 1897) * Utility March (Karl King 1929) * Veteran Brigade March (Cundy-Bettoney 1940) * Ye Old Tyme March (unpublished manuscript) ;Composed under name of O.A. Gilson * Robbins Bros. Triumphal March (C L Barnhouse 1928) * Vindicator Concert March (unpublished manuscript)

References

*Rehrig, William H., ''Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music'', Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1991, pp. I 359; Sup 390. *Smith, Norman, ''March Music Notes'', pp 210–211, Lake Charles, LA: Program Notes Press, 1986. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Arthur Wellesley 1870 births 1950 deaths Canadian composers Canadian male composers Canadian horn players Canadian music arrangers 20th-century Canadian pianists Calliope players Canadian circus performers Musicians from Kingston, Ontario Musicians from Waterloo, Ontario Canadian male pianists

Compositions

See also

References