Kenneth J. Alford Biography - A Very Quick Guide

Kenneth J. Alford was the pen name of Frederick Joseph Ricketts (1881–1945), a British composer and military bandmaster whose marches became some of the most recognisable in the 20th-century wind band repertoire. Born in London, he enlisted as a musician in the Royal Irish Regiment before studying at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. Ricketts later served as bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and, from 1927, the Royal Marines, eventually becoming Director of Music at the Royal Marines Depot, Deal.

Alford’s fame rests on his vividly scored and melodically memorable military marches, the best known being Colonel Bogey, composed in 1914 and later made internationally famous through its use in films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai. Other notable marches include The Great Little Army, “Voice of the Guns,” “The Vanished Army,” and “Army of the Nile.” His works remain core repertoire for military and brass bands worldwide, securing his reputation as one of Britain’s finest march composers.