ALEXANDER OWEN
Alexander Owen was born in 1851 and had a humble upbringing in an orphanage in Swinton, near Manchester. He was apprenticed to an army Bandmaster who taught him to play the Cornet. His progress was so rapid that in 1868, at the tender age of 16 became the Principal Cornet player and Resident Conductor of the Stalybridge Old Band. News of his talent travelled fast and just 7 years later he was acclaimed the finest Cornet player in the land and he joined the then famous Meltham & Meltham Mills Band. During his time with this Band, they achieved a hat-trick of wins at the British Open at Belle Vue, Manchester in 1876, 1877 and 1878. By 1879, still only aged 28, he had been appointed to the position of Professional Conductor of the Black Dyke Mills Band and in 1880 and 1881, he conducted the Band when it won the British Open Brass Band Championships, thereby claiming a hat-trick of wins for the Band at this prestigious event. In all, Alexander Owen conducted a band to 1st Prize at the British Open on six occasions. He stayed with Black Dyke Mills until 1888. Also, in 1884, while still conducting Black Dyke Mills, he began his legendary association with Besses o’ th’ Barn which was to continue until his death in 1920.
By now, Alexander Owen’s fame had spread and in addition to his conducting successes, he was now arranging large Operatic Selections, mainly for his Band to perform at “Own Choice” Contests. In 1887, he conducted Besses o’ th’ Barn to 1st prize at so many competitions playing his arrangement, Rossini's Works that they were barred from playing it at a contest in Yorkshire. They had in total won 21 out of 29 contests playing this piece. Not to be deterred, he merely made another arrangement, Beethoven's Works and they entered the contest playing this arrangement instead and were awarded joint 1st Prize.
In 1892, Alexander Owen and Besses won every major British Challenge Cup. By the end of 1903, the Band had become Professional and was no longer allowed to compete. This was probably a relief to Alexander Owen as, at the Crystal Palace Grand Final that year , he conducted no less than 7 of the 21 competing Bands, gaining 1st Prize with Besses and 2nd Prize with Rushden Temperance!
In 1906, Alexander Owen and Besses undertook an historic and unprecedented “World Tour” visiting America, Canada, Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa bringing their talent and his music to the world. A similar tour was undertaken in 1909 - 1911.
The last prize winning performance with Alexander Owen and Besses was at Belle Vue in 1918, the first time the Band had competed since 1903, where they were awarded 3rd Prize.
Alexander Owen died on 29th July 1920 and the Band with their new Conductor Willie Wood gave him the greatest tribute they possibly could by claiming 1st Prize at Belle Vue later that same year. Today’s Besses o’ th’ Barn Band still practise in the same Bandroom where Owen taught his beloved Band and some 82 years later, his photograph dominates the wall as though he is, in spirit at least, still looking on 'His Band'.
© Copyright 2005 JAGRINS Music Publications