Alex Lithgow

Alexander Frame Lithgow (1 December 1870 in Glasgow – 12 July 1929 in Launceston, Tasmania) was a Scottish-born, New Zealand and Australian based composer and bandleader known as the “Sousa of the Antipodes”. Biography Known as Alec to his family, Lithgow was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1870. His family emigrated to Invercargill, New Zealand in 1876, where he attended Invercargill Grammar School and Presbyterian First Church of Invercargill. His family was musical, performing as the six-member Lithgow Concert Company around Southland. As a child, Lithgow learnt violin and cornet, initially being taught cornet by his father. In 1881, Lithgow joined the local brass band, the Invercargill Garrison Band. By 1886 he had advanced to be the band’s solo and principal cornetist. However, despite often being stated, he never was this band’s conductor. Lithgow began composing for brass band from a young age. His first composition to be published was the march Wairoa in 1887, named after a ship the band played on at the Invercargill estuary. In the following years, he played first violin with the Theatre Royal Orchestra and won national solo cornet titles. In 1893, aged 23, he toured New Zea