Leo R. Stanley

Leo R. Stanley

1884-1966

England

Leo R. Stanley was the pseudonym of Randolph Robjent Ricketts. He was the younger brother of composer Frederick Joseph Ricketts. Like his brother, better known under pseudonym Kenneth J. Alford, he was a military musician.

Ricketts was born in Shadwell, England, on December 9, 1884, and enlisted in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment as a band boy in 1900. He remained there for ten years and received bandmaster training at Kneller Hall. He graduated in 1913 and became bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, where he served until 1925. In 1926, he moved to the Band of the Royal Signal Corps, remaining with this group until his retirement in 1938.

His most famous march is The Contemptibles, written as a tribute to the British troops which temporarily halted the German advances at Mons and le Chateau in 1914. (Kaiser Wilhelm II is reported to have referred to these British forces as the “contemptible little army”)

After leaving military service, Ricketts wrote several novelty and solo works, the most famous of which are the post horn solos, The Huntsmen and The Chase. He died in February of 1966, in Dovecourt, England.

Marches composed by Leo R. Stanley:

• Alamein
• The Chief
• The Colours 1922
• The Contemptibles 1918
• The Glory of Arnhem
• H.R.H. the Princess Royal
• The Iron Duke 1923
• Pageantry 1928
• The Pompadours
• Return of the Warriors
• Les Scaramouches

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Pearson Archives Part A

The Pearson Archive of Military Music Background

 Part A

The forwards/chapters from other books on this subject are quite useful in several ways. Firstly they let one look at the state of music from that time period from people with the understanding of their importance. Secondly, as the armies of the world are constantly being re-organized their marches are affected resulting in new ones being composed or old ones are combined into new arrangements or dropped altogether. Thirdly, as these changes come about, the band size and instrumentation change as well affecting the sound and musical arrangements. Knowing this, these men have tried to bring to light the importance of the marches and their history, either through conducting a band, composing, writing down their history or understanding their effect on soldiers in the many regiments. … Continue Reading »

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Influencial Musicians J

J

Jaeger Cecil Harry (Jiggs)

b 1913 d 1970
He began life in an orphanage and learned cornet in the institution. He enlisted as a band boy in 1927 in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He attended Kneller Hall as a pupil in 1931 and returned in 1936 as a student bandmaster. In 1937 he appeared as part of the Trumpet fanfare team for the Coronation of George VI. He graduated from Kneller hall and was awarded several honors for composition and arranging. Because of the war he was unable to have an appointment as a bandmaster and as a result returned to his old regiment where he was given the honorary title of BUGLE MAJOR. He began further study and in 1949 he was awarded a Bachelor of Music at Durham University. . He finally did get an appointment of bandmaster of the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars in 1942 and remained with them until 1944. In 1949 after receiving his BA degree he was appointed as Director of Music of the Irish Guards band and he was promoted to Captain. He toured the world with the band and also become a household name with numerous recordings of the band. He appeared in a movie the ‘Ipcress File’ . He had an enormous following among British military musicians because of his colorful style. In 1963 he became the Senior Director of Music of the Brigade of Guards and was responsible for several state ceremonial titles including the music for the funeral of Winston Churchill. He retired from the Irish Guards band  in 1968 after a month long tour of Canada. While in Canada he performed a concert in London Ontario for which over 10,000 persons attended. He was the conductor and organizer for several massive military band displays in both England and the continent. Two of his most well compositions include the march Canada on the March and the Commonwealth on the March.On retirement from the Irish Guards Band he was Commandant of the Royal Military School of Music , Kneller Hall

Johnson Albin I

b 1915
Born in Michigan he studied at the Ernest Williams Conservatory and later at the US Army bandleaders school. He became the solo cornetist of the US Army band in Washington from 1936 to 1939. He left the Army from 1939 but in 1941 but returned at the advent of war. He was appointed a US army band leader and in 1949 became the director of training at the Army European band training school where he also led the faculty in radio broadcasts and in concerts. In 1949 he joined the faculty of the Special Services School in Fort Monmouth NJ and later when the school moved at Fort Lee Virginia in 1950. He wrote several unpublished works for band including It’s The Army  march and Pride of The Lakers March.

Jonusas Bronius

b 1899 d 1978
He was born in Lithuania. He studied at the conservatory in Riga and the state conservatory at Kaunas from 1938 to  1942 performing  on trumpet. After completing his initial musical training in 1921 he was the director of the Regimental band of the Eighth Infantry and held this position until 1937, while also continuing his studies. In 1937 he was appointed the conductor of the Kaunas Police banda quasi military organization. He became very well know because of his association with both the military and Police bands. His transcriptions of several works by Russian and Lithuanian composers are still being performed in those countries. He wrote several dazzling marches for military and concert band particularly his series of Lithuanian Freedom marches which were recorded in 1963. He emigrated to the USA in 1959 and is his work is still immensely popular in a now free Lithuania. His march Trumpets are Sounding remains as one of the world’s greatest marches.

Jucci, Carmine

b 1892 d 1974
He was an Italian born military musician who studied with Magnani and at the St Celia Conservatory in Rome.. He was very active as a clarinetist with numerous orchestras and eventually became director of the band of the 8th Italian Regiment from 1939 to 1945. In 1945 he was appointed the director of the band of the Armed Forces of  San Marino. He composed a march for this band called the March of the Armed Forces of Marinio.

Judd John L (Sammy)

b 1903 d 1980
He enlisted as a band boy in the Royal Inniskillin Fusiliers in 1917. He was trained on clarinet and oboe and eventually specialized in oboe.. He served with the band in various postings following World War I in India, Iraq and Northern Ireland. He was selected for bandmaster training in 1927 at Kneller Hall. In 1930 he was appointed bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry. In 1942 he transferred to Royal Signals Corps band and was commissioned in 1947 and appointed the Director of Music in 1947. He retired from the army in 1962 having served over 44 years

Tags: musicians J-Jaeger Cecil Harry
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US Bugle Calls circa 1917

Bugle Signals, Calls & Marches,

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Military Music-George Henry Farmer

Military Music And Its Story – The Rise & Development Of Military Music

 By Henry George Farmer Author Of “Memoirs Of The Royal Artillery Band:

An Account Of Military Music In England”

Published By WM. REEVES, London, Circa 1912

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