March of the ANZACs

 75B1 Brass Band 

“March of the ANZACs” is one of the estimated 200 marches written by Alexander (Alek) Frame Lithgow and one of the many named after New Zealand and Australian towns, places and/or events.

"Alek" was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 1/12/1870, but by the time he was 6 years old, his family had emigrated to New Zealand settling in the town of Invercargill. He attended the then Invercargill Grammar School. He liked Ice Hockey, the Circus and Rugby but his family was a musical family so having had cornet lessons from his father, in 1881 at the age of 11, he joined the Invercargill Garrison Band. Alek also learnt the violin to a very high standard.

In 1886 now just 16 years old, he became the band's solo and principal cornetist. One year later,  his first composition, 'Wairoa', was published. This was named after a ship onboard which the band was playing in the Invercargill estuary.

After a varied musical career, in 1894 at the age of 24, he moved to Australia and settled in the Tasmanian town of Launceston where he became conductor of the St Joseph's Total Abstinence Society Band. He earned his living as a compositor at "The Examiner" and the "Daily Telegraph" On  6/6/1900, Alek  married Elizabeth Hill Telfer in Launceston. Next year, he returned to New Zealand to conduct the Woolston Band, the same year in which he also wrote "Invercargill". By 1903 he was back with Launceston's St Joseph's Band.

The next year he started the Australian Army's 12th Battalion (Launceston Regiment) Band. That regiment was eventually amalgamated with the 40th to form today's 12/40 Battalion, Royal Tasmanian Regiment which fittingly, has "Invercargill" as one of its two official marches.

Alek continued to perform with various bands and orchestras as well as being a teacher and soloist during which time he remained a prolific composer in various formats. In 1927 at the age of 57 he retired from work and the Band due to ill health. On 12/7/1929 at the age or 59 he suffered a fatal stroke. His most famous composition "Invercargill" which still rates as one of the world's most popular marches, was played by the massed bands that attended his funeral.

This version was transcribed from the Military band version as no Brass version was available. There were two versions located, one in D and another in Eb, The later was chosen to keep the Key simple.