George Allan

George Allan (21 March 1864 – 16 March 1930) was an English composer and arranger of music for brass bands who was born, and resided for most of his life, in New Shildon, County Durham, United Kingdom. As a composer he was a contemporary of William Rimmer and J. Ord Hume.

Early life He was born on March 21, 1864, to parents John James Allan, a Tailor and Draper, and his wife Hannah, at their home in Chapel Street, New Shildon. As a youth he was a choirboy at All Saints Church in Shildon having learned to sing as a child through the Tonic Sol-fa method. He initially learned to play baritone horn, before gradually progressing to become a solo tenor horn player. Allan eventually was promoted from the juvenile band into the senior New Shildon Saxhorn Band, under bandmaster Francis Dinsdale (Grandfather of Thomas Bulch).

When Francis Dinsdale relinquished the post of bandmaster of the New Shildon Saxhorn Band prior to his death in December 1884, George Allan inherited the role. This opportunity arose in part through Thomas Bulch having already become bandmaster of a breakaway New Shildon Temperance Brass Band a few years earlier.

Career On reaching working age George Allan initially worked as a labourer, before taking up a post as a Blacksmith's Striker at the North Eastern Railway wagon works at Shildon, where for a short while he worked alongside Thomas Bulch before the latter emigrated to Australia in 1884. He is best known today for his contest marches (pieces designed to show every section of a brass band at its best) a number of which continue to be played. These include "Knight Templar", "Senator" and "The Wizard".

Selected Compositions

Battle Abbey - (march) Belle of Bohemia, The - (waltz) Belmont - (contest march) Binchester - (march) Blytheville - (march) Boscombe - (quick march) Bravura - (contest march) Cavalier - (overture) Collier, The - (march) Cyclone, The - (march) Darlington - (march) Diomed - (contest march) Diplomat, The - (march) Elmville - (march) Everest - (contest march) Florence - (quadrille) Gabriani - (overture) Gale, The - (contest march) Granville - (march) Imperioso - (march) Impetus - (march) Jupiter - (march) King Edward - (overture) Knight Templar - (contest march) Lefebvre - (contest march) Lonsdale - (march) Lunedale - (march) Lyndhurst - (march) Nevada - (waltz) New Century, The - (fantasia) Niobe - (march) No Retreat - (march) On Parade - (march) Pendragon - (march) Penelope - (set of waltzes) Phantom - (march) Raby - (march) Red Cross, The - (fantasia) Repulse, The - (march) Romola - (overture) Royal Festival - (fantasia) Runaway - (galop) La Rustica - (overture) Rusticus - (fantasia) Senator - (march) Shawville - (march) Silverdale - (march) Silver King - (march) Sons of Toil - (march) Storm Fiend, The - (march) Ovation, The - (march) Village Feast, The - (fantasia) Vigilant - (march) Wanderer, The - (march) Waverley - (march) Windlestone - (march) Wizard, The - (march) York - (march)