Magic Gum Tree
{{Short description|1932 musical comedy}}
{{italic title}}
File:Postcard gumnut babies.jpg
is a musical comedy written in 1932 with music and lyrics by Australian composer Arline Sauer.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15886995 |title=Prof. C. Sauer |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=25,679 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 April 1920 |access-date=6 June 2018 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The story involves an immigrant girl lost in the Australian outback who falls asleep and meets several dreamland characters. She is rescued by a group of Australian Aboriginal boys and returned safely home. The piece is a work of Australiana featuring Australian animals and characters. A Queensland reviewer thought it reminiscent of A. A. Milne.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36718765 |title=Music and the Drama |newspaper=The Courier-mail |issue=268 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=7 July 1934 |access-date=20 October 2017 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Musical numbers
- Overture
- Ten Little Aboriginals
- Gumnut Pixies (dance)
- Dear Little Wattle Blossom
- Ko-a-la
- Hail! Thou Fair Land (duet)
- Ten Little Aboriginals (Finale)
Productions
- 1934 Railway Institute, Sydney{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17082556 | title=The Magic Gum Tree | newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald | date=27 August 1934 }}{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article229566191 | title=Sydney's Big Music Festival Launched | newspaper=Sun | date=26 August 1934 }}
- 1935 Melbourne{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171902859 | title=St. Dominic's School, East Camberwell | newspaper=Advocate | date=3 January 1935 }}
- 1935 Clermont, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70624194 | title=Clermont | newspaper=Central Queensland Herald | date=12 December 1935 }}
- 1935 Newcastle, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138147061 | title=The Magic Gum Tree | newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate | date=21 August 1935 }}
- 1935 Lismore, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225394832 | title=Old Bonalbo School Concert | newspaper=Northern Star | date=30 August 1935 }}
- 1935 Parkside, South Australia{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167076295 | title=Convent of Mercy, Parkside | newspaper=Southern Cross | date=20 December 1935 }}
- 1936 Wayville, South Australia (selections){{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48180910 | title=Thousand Voices Concerts | newspaper=Advertiser | date=23 September 1936 }}
- 1937 Trangie, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article99597173 | title=Trangie Convent Concert | newspaper=Narromine News and Trangie Advocate | date=2 December 1937 }}
- 1937 St George, Queensland{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article213760443 | title=Heralds of the King | newspaper=Balonne Beacon | date=23 September 1937 }}
- 1937 Coffs Harbour{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187839128 | title=School Concert | newspaper=Coffs Harbour Advocate | date=7 December 1937 }}
- 1937 Armidale, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article193656181 | title=Armidale 51 Years Ago | newspaper=Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser | date=3 February 1939 }}
- 1938 Bundarra, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article174414309 | title=Convent School Concert at Bundarra | newspaper=Uralla Times | date=15 December 1938 }}
- 1938 Maitland, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125701587 | title=Musical Play | newspaper=Maitland Daily Mercury | date=2 July 1938 }}
- 1939 Hobart, Tasmania{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25765105 | title=Glenorchy School Concert | newspaper=Mercury | date=14 December 1939 }}
- 1939 Canberra, ACT{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2518483 | title=The Social Round in Canberra | newspaper=Canberra Times | date=13 December 1939 }}
- 1940 Wellington, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141705632 | title=The Magic Gum Tree | newspaper=Wellington Times | date=August 1940 }}
- 1940 Carnarvon, Western Australia{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74941730 | title=Convent Concert | newspaper=Northern Times | date=28 November 1940 }}
- 1941 Cairns, Queensland{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42321843 | title=Japoon Notes | newspaper=Cairns Post | date=6 December 1941 }}
- 1941 Mount Barker, South Australia{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147862873 | title=St Scholastica's College | newspaper=Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser | date=18 December 1941 }}
- 1941 Newcastle, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167433594 | title=Islington School Concert | newspaper=Newcastle Sun | date=2 May 1941 }}
- 1942 Manilla, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196292700 | title=Convent Concert | newspaper=Manilla Express | date=27 November 1942 }}
- 1942 Mudgee, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156416564 | title=Talented Tiny Tots | newspaper=Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative | date=24 August 1942 }}
- 1942 Rockhampton, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106359636 | title=Rockhampton Diocese | newspaper=Catholic Press | date=22 January 1942 }}
- 1946 Burnie, Tasmania{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69060515 | title=Advertising | newspaper=Advocate | date=8 November 1946 }}
- 1947 Forbes, New South Wales{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218413515 | title=Convent Concert | newspaper=Forbes Advocate | date=26 September 1947 }}
- 1950 Pinnaroo, South Australia{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197625678 | title=School Concert | newspaper=Pinnaroo and Border Times | date=21 December 1950 }}
Carl and Arline Sauer
Carl Sauer D. Mus., F.S.Sc.A. (died 5 March 1951){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18202472 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=35,321 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 March 1951 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}} married to Doris was a German-born musician, teacher and composer in Australia,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90160273 |title=Colac Competitions |newspaper=The Colac Herald |volume=XLIII |issue=4593 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=29 April 1912 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} founder of the N.S.W. Youth Symphony Orchestra and Choir.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230069911 |title=Prof. Sauer dies suddenly |newspaper=The Sun (Sydney) |issue=12,824 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 March 1951 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Arline Estelle Lower (died 1990) was an Adelaide pianist{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54242408 |title=Broadcast Recital |newspaper=The Register News-pictorial |volume=XCIV |issue=27,277 |location=South Australia |date=17 January 1929 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} who, at around 16 years of age, achieved considerable success at the Easter 1912 competitions in Launceston.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209943617 |title=Musical Notes |newspaper=The Express and Telegraph |volume=XLIX |issue=14,600 |location=South Australia |date=27 April 1912 |access-date=6 June 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} She joined Sauer's concert party sometime around 1915{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124982577 |title=Kapunda Herald |newspaper=Kapunda Herald |volume=LI |issue=3,820 |location=South Australia |date=27 August 1915 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} and married him in May 1924 and became generally known as Arline Sauer the following month.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245708329 |title=The World of Women |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |issue=13,893 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 June 1924 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}
They divorced in 1946{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27903113 |title=In Divorce |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=34,004 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=17 December 1946 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} and the following year, as Arline Lower, acted as soloist and accompanist to Rosina Raisbeck on the mezzo-soprano's tour of Australia and New Zealand.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225519753 |title=Mezzo-Soprano Is Six Feet One in Height |newspaper=The Northern Star |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 June 1947 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
She continued to find favor as an accompanist in Sydney: for soprano Eleanor Houston, contralto Florence Taylor, tenor John Dudley, and baritone John Cameron. at the 1948 Carols by Candlelight,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248352221 |title=20,000 at Carols Festival |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |volume=X |issue=6 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 December 1948 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}} and in 1949 for baritone Donald Graham and Betty Kable, the New Zealand violinist.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161694879 |title=Donald Graham's Recital |newspaper=National Advocate |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 March 1949 |access-date=6 November 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Other works include:
- Pixie-land (c. 1932): three songs for medium voice by Arline Lower
:1. Pixie pipers
:2. Pixie revels
:3. Lullaby
Lower was active in promoting cross-cultural exchanges, founding president of the New Australians' Cultural Association, and founder of the Arline Lower Art Prize of 100 guineas.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article176526540 |title=Czech wins prize in migrant art contest |newspaper=The Good Neighbour |issue=23 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=1 June 1952 |accessdate=7 November 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
References
External links
- [http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-170034705/view?partId=nla.obj-170037355#page/n24/mode/1up Piano/vocal score with dialogue]
Category:Australian literature
Category:20th-century Australian literature
Category:Indigenous Australian theatre
Category:Musicals set in Australia