Arthur Wellesley Hughes


Arthur Wellesley Hughes 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, Downie & Wheeler Circus ; Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus ; Sells-Floto Circus ; and Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows. He was with Robbins Bros. Circus whence his Robbins Bros. Triumphal March arose, and Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show, and Walter L. Main Circus. Hughes worked as composer and arranger for the Waterloo Music Company of Waterloo, Ontario, from 1932 to 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 US 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
  • Ambassador March
  • Aquitania March
  • Belle of Coontown Dance
  • Canada, Land of Liberty Medley
  • Canadian Patriots Medley
  • Carry On March
  • Chain Lightning Galop
  • Champlain March
  • Charter of Liberty March
  • Circus Echoes Galop
  • Comrades All March
  • Corinthian March
  • Darkey's Connundrum – song & dance
  • The Dawn of Peace March
  • Del Rio March
  • Dufferin March
  • Echoes from the Harem
  • Eventide
  • Fond du Lac March
  • Fort Garry March
  • Fraternity March
  • Greater Boston March
  • Hail Edward VII
  • Hospitality March
  • In the Lead March
  • In Old Quebec March
  • Italia Giovinezza March Medley
  • Little Bugler
  • Mediterranean March
  • Novelette
  • Novelty Overture
  • Our Commonwealth March
  • Our Pilot March
  • The Proclamation March
  • Red Deer March
  • Reign of Peace March
  • The Rosedale Three Step
  • Rose Festival Waltz
  • St Augustine March
  • St. Julien March - 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
  • Salute to Buffalo March
  • Salute to Mars March
  • Spark Plug Galop
  • Tipperary Tommy March
  • The Tournament March
  • Unique Overture
  • United Empire March
  • Utility March
  • Veteran Brigade March
  • Ye Old Tyme March
;Composed under name of O.A. Gilson