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Colonel Bogey March
  • Colonel Bogey March

    SKU: BBBE120605

    Written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts, a British army bandmaster who later became director of music for the Royal Marines. Since service personnel were discouraged from having professional lives outside the armed forces, Ricketts published Colonel Bogey and his other compositions under the pseudonym Kenneth Alford. The sheet music was a million-seller, and the march has been recorded many times. Colonel Bogey is the official march of the King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) of the Canadian Forces and Malcolm Arnold incorporated the march into his Oscar award winning score for the 1957 film Bridge Over the River Kwai.
     

    The main tune was allegedly inspired by a military man and golfer who whistled the characteristic two-note phrase (a descending minor third interval) instead of shouting 'fore!' It is this descending interval which begins each line of the melody.

    • Composer

      Kenneth Alford

    • Arranger

      Michael Allen

    • Duration

      3' 30"

    • Instrumentation

      423.11 - 3 Trumpets in B flat, Flugelhorn, 2 Horns, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba - Percussion is Snare Drum & Bass Drum

    • Difficulty

      Grade 3 - advanced high school or college/university ensemble

    • File Format

      Full score and parts in PDF available for download.

    $45.00Price
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