James Gayfer

Who was James Gayfer?

James McDonald Gayfer was a Canadian bandmaster, clarinetist, composer, conductor, organist, military officer, and music educator. His compositional output encompasses several orchestral works, including two symphonies, numerous works for band and solo piano, a modest amount of chamber music, and several songs, hymns, and choral works. In 1944 his string quartet won the CPRS award and in 1947 his Six Translations from the Chinese for tenor and small orchestra won the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada competition. In 1960 he wrote The Canadian Infantryman, the official march past of the Canadian School of Infantry. Although Gayfer's works remain unpublished, some of them have been recorded by a number of artists, including Howard Cable, David Mills, and the Edmonton Wind Ensemble. The band of the Royal 22ᵉ Régiment continues to perform his works with some frequency. In 1983 he was awarded the Service Medal of the Order of St John.