<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth J. Alford</span>

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Kenneth J. Alford

<p><b>Frederick Joseph Ricketts</b> (21 February 1881 – 15 May 1945) was an English composer of marches for band. Under the pen name <b>Kenneth J. Alford</b>, he composed marches which are considered to be great examples of the art. He was a Bandmaster in the <a href="/en/British_Army" title="British Army" class="wl">British Army</a>, and <a href="/en/Royal_Marines" title="Royal Marines" class="wl">Royal Marines</a> Director of Music. Conductor Sir <a href="/en/Vivian_Dunn" title="Vivian Dunn" class="wl">Vivian Dunn</a> called Ricketts "The British March King".<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> Ricketts' frequent use of the <a href="/en/Saxophone" title="Saxophone" class="wl">saxophone</a> contributed to its permanent inclusion in military bands. His best known work is the "<a href="/en/Colonel_Bogey_March" title="Colonel Bogey March" class="wl">Colonel Bogey March</a>".<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span></p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">English composer (1881–1945)</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Kenneth J. Alford, Born, Died, Other&nbsp;nam...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox biography vcard mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size:125%;"><div class="fn" style="display:inline">Kenneth J. Alford</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size mw-image-border"><a href="/en/File:RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg/220px-RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="2262" data-file-height="3552" data-file-type="bitmap" height="345" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg/330px-RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg/440px-RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg 2x" alt="RICKETTS_Frederick_J.jpg"></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data">21 February 1881<br><div style="display:inline" class="birthplace"><a href="/en/Ratcliff" title="Ratcliff" class="wl">Ratcliff</a>, <a href="/en/London" title="London" class="wl">London</a>, England</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">15 May 1945<span style="display:none">(1945-05-15)</span> (aged<span>&nbsp;</span>64)<br><div style="display:inline" class="deathplace"><a href="/en/Reigate" title="Reigate" class="wl">Reigate</a>, <a href="/en/Surrey" title="Surrey" class="wl">Surrey</a>, England</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Other<span>&nbsp;</span>names</th><td class="infobox-data nickname">Kenneth J. Alford</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Occupation(s)</th><td class="infobox-data role">Bandmaster, composer, arranger</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Known<span>&nbsp;</span>for</th><td class="infobox-data">British March King</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Spouse</th><td class="infobox-data"><div style="display:inline;white-space:nowrap;"><div style="display:inline-block;line-height:normal;">Annie Louisa Holmes</div><span> </span><div style="display:inline-block;"><span>​</span></div><span>(</span><abbr about="#mwt21" typeof="mw:ExpandedAttrs" data-mw="{&quot;attribs&quot;:[[{&quot;txt&quot;:&quot;title&quot;},{&quot;html&quot;:&quot;<span typeof=\&quot;mw:Nowiki\&quot; data-parsoid=\&quot;{}\&quot;>married</span>&quot;}]]}">m.</abbr><span>&nbsp;</span>1907<span>)</span><wbr><span>​</span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Children</th><td class="infobox-data">6</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader" style="font-weight:bold;">Military career</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em">Allegiance</th><td class="infobox-data">United Kingdom</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em">Service/<wbr>branch</th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1116488514" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .treeview ul{padding:0;margin:0}.mw-parser-output .treeview li{padding:0;margin:0;list-style-type:none;list-style-image:none}.mw-parser-output .treeview li li{background:url("https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Treeview-grey-line.png")no-repeat 0 -2981px;padding-left:21px;text-indent:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .treeview li li:last-child{background-position:0 -5971px}.mw-parser-output .treeview li.emptyline>ul>.mw-empty-elt:first-child+.emptyline,.mw-parser-output .treeview li.emptyline>ul>li:first-child{background-position:0 9px}</style><div class="treeview">
<ul><li><a href="/en/British_Army" title="British Army" class="wl">British Army</a> (until 1927)</li>
<li><a href="/en/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy" class="wl">Royal Navy</a>
<ul><li><a href="/en/Royal_Marines" title="Royal Marines" class="wl">Royal Marines</a></li></ul></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em">Years<span>&nbsp;</span>of service</th><td class="infobox-data">1895–1944</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em">Unit</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Royal_Irish_Regiment_(1684–1922)" title="Royal Irish Regiment (1684–1922)" class="wl">Royal Irish Regiment</a></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2">
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Frederick Joseph Ricketts was an English composer of marches for band. Under the pen name Kenneth J. Alford, he composed marches which are considered to be great examples of the art. He was a Bandmaster in the British Army, and Royal Marines Director of Music. Conductor Sir Vivian Dunn called Ricketts "The British March King". 