Charles Ancliffe

Charles William Ancliffe (25 July 1880 – 20 December 1952) was an Irish-born composer of light music, chiefly remembered for his salon piano music, genre dance pieces, light character pieces and his “Nights of Gladness” waltz. Early life and education Ancliffe was born on 25 July 1880 at Curragh Camp, Kildare, Ireland. His father, John Benjamin Ancliffe (1854–1916), was bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment from 1884 and the 2nd Battalion Somerset Light Infantry from 1894 until he was discharged in 1908. When aged 11, he was organist at the military church in Secunderabad where his father was stationed. At the age of 15 in 1896 he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry in Guernsey as a boy bandsman. He studied at the Royal Military School of Music in Kneller Hall (1899–1900), graduating at the age of 20 having been awarded the gold baton for composition for a suite called “Gipsy Pictures”. Career Ancliffe followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a bandmaster himself; from 11 December 1900 he was bandmaster of the First Battalion, South Wales Borderers, seeing much service in India (1901–1910). In 1902 he joined the Freemasons. In 1903, when he was