Lieutenant James Ord Hume (14 September 1864 – 25 November 1932) was an English musician, remembered as a composer and arranger for brass bands, but in his time noted as a conductor and judge in brass band competitions.

History

Hume was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and joined the Royal Scots Guards in 1877. He played solo

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

with the

Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Scotland that became a regiment of the British Army in 1707 upon the Union of Scotland and England, continuing until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of ...

in 1881, and left the army in 1887. While in the services he composed at least a hundred marches for military band, and has been credited with 300 compositions over his lifetime. He was, by invitation, chief judge at the South Street Competitions in

Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Australian census, 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australi ...

in 1902, subsequently visiting Sydney and Adelaide. He returned to Australia in 1924, when he was accompanied by his wife. He has been credited as the greatest single influence on the standard of Australian brass band performance. He had a home in North London, where he died. His remains were carried to

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

cemetery, accompanied by a massed band playing the "Dead March" from ''

Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...

'' and "Abide with Me", and interred to the strains of the hymns "Deep Harmony" and "The Angels' Song", Hume's last composition.

Instrumentalist, composer, arranger, adjudicator, he will for ever be remembered as the greatest figure ever known in the brass band world.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hume, Ord 1864 births 1932 deaths 19th-century English composers 20th-century English composers Brass band composers Brass band conductors