Russell Alexander

Alexander was born in Nevada, Missouri, and became a euphonium virtuoso who joined the circus band of Belford's Carnival at the age of 18. At 20, he became arranger and euphonium soloist with the Barnum & Bailey Circus Band and toured Europe from 1897 to 1902. Following his tour with Barnum & Bailey, Alexander worked in a novelty musical vaudeville act with his brothers. Although his compositional output was relatively small, he is considered a great composer of marches. He wrote 33 marches, 6 galops, and several overtures, novelties, and other works. For part of his career he worked in acts with his brothers, Newton and Woodruff. On July 20, 2015, a memorial plaque honoring Alexander was unveiled on the Main Street Stage in Liberty, New York, just a short distance from the Old Town Cemetery in which Alexander is buried. The ceremony included a performance of seven Alexander works.

Unless noted, his works were published by C. L. Barnhouse Co., to whom Alexander's widow sold the rights to his music shortly after his death. • Across the Atlantic March (1899) • Americans Before Havana Overture (unpublished) • Baltimore's Boast March (1899) • Bastinado Galop (1908) • Belford's Carnival (1897) • Burr's Triumphal (1897) • The Butterfly Dance (unpublished) • The Cantonians March (1908) • Charioteers of Semiramis Galop (unpublished) • Colossus of Columbia (1901) • The Comedy Club March (1907) White Publishing • Congressional Limited Galop (unpublished) • The Conquest March (1913) Fillmore Bros. Music House • Conway's Cantata March (unpublished) • The Crimson Flush March (1897) • The Darlington March (1896) • Decatur at Tripoli Overture (unpublished) • Embossing the Emblem March (1902) • The Exposition Four March (1903) • The Four Gladiators (1899) (unpublished) • From Tropic To Tropic March (1898) • Hampton Roads March (1919) Fillmore Bros. Music House • International Vaudeville (1897) • Memphis the Majestic (1900) • Olympia Hippodrome March (1898) • Pall Mall Famous March (1909) Star Music Co • Paramour of Panama March (1904) McMillin • Patriots of the Potomac March (1903) • La Reine March (1907) • Rival Rovers March (1899) • Round Up The (1916) • Salute to Seattle March (1905) • Shoot the Chutes Galop (1901) • Song of the South (1905) [Solo with Band Acc.] • The Southerner March (1908) • The Southerners Galop (unpublished) • Steeplechase Galop (1900) • The Storming of El Caney (1903) • Storming El Caney March (unpublished) • Vicksburg the Valiant March (unpublished) • Vienna to Vicksburg (unpublished) • Yankees in Vienna March (unpublished)