[Sheet music] Over the Top March

Sheet music for the instrumental march titled 'Over the top', with music composed by Ezra Read. This piece appears to have originally been published in 1896 with this edition published in 1926. The cover shows a black and white print of soldiers advancing over a battleground towards a line of barbed wire. This version includes parts for violin and cello.

Included in this copy are several advertising previews for other pieces. On the inside front cover, these include: 'Now dies the day' written by Albert H Oswald; 'Blackberry Sam' written by Edward Cuthbertson; 'Comrades all' written by Ralph Harcourt; 'Pomponette' written by Albert H Oswald; 'Frasquita' written by Emile Gastelle; 'The Jim-Jams', written by Emile Gastelle; 'Lights and Laughter', written by Julian Fredericks; and 'On parade', written by Miles Crawford.

On the back cover are several more advertising previews. These include: 'A canoe canoodle', written by Albert H Oswald; 'The soul of a rose', written by E Desmond; 'Claudine', written by Albert H Oswald; 'Cupid Lips', written by Albert H Oswald; 'Chestnut time', written by Daisy Moore; 'The roses speak of you' written by Albert H Oswald; and 'Laughing eyes', written by Emile Gastelle.

Ezra Read was a pianist and composer who was born in Willenhall, Staffordshire, England. He married Beatrice Ida Hampden, also a musician, and together they are believed to have adopted over 120 pseudonyms and composed over 4000 pieces of music.

Towards the bottom of this page is a sound recording of this sheet music, or a parody, that was created as part of the Music and the First World War project. More information about this recording, including names of the performers, can be found on the catalogue record for the sound recording. A link to the catalogue record for the sound recording can be found at the bottom of this page, under the heading ‘Related objects’ where it can be identified with the prefix [sound recording].