Magic Gum Tree Explained

The Magic Gum Tree is a musical comedy written in 1932 with music and lyrics by Australian composer Arline Sauer.^[1]

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.^[2]

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^{[3] [4]}
• 1935 Melbourne^[5]
• 1935 Clermont, New South Wales^[6]
• 1935 Newcastle, New South Wales^[7]
• 1935 Lismore, New South Wales^[8]
• 1935 Parkside, South Australia^[9]
• 1936 Wayville, South Australia (selections)^[10]
• 1937 Trangie, New South Wales^[11]
• 1937 St George, Queensland^[12]
• 1937 Coffs Harbour^[13]
• 1937 Armidale, New South Wales^[14]
• 1938 Bundarra, New South Wales^[15]
• 1938 Maitland, New South Wales^[16]
• 1939 Hobart, Tasmania^[17]
• 1939 Canberra, ACT^[18]
• 1940 Wellington, New South Wales^[19]
• 1940 Carnarvon, Western Australia^[20]
• 1941 Cairns, Queensland^[21]
• 1941 Mount Barker, South Australia^[22]
• 1941 Newcastle, New South Wales^[23]
• 1942 Manilla, New South Wales^[24]
• 1942 Mudgee, New South Wales^[25]
• 1942 Rockhampton, New South Wales^[26]
• 1946 Burnie, Tasmania^[27]
• 1947 Forbes, New South Wales^[28]
• 1950 Pinnaroo, South Australia^[29]

Carl and Arline Sauer

Carl Sauer D. Mus., F.S.Sc.A. (London) (died 5 March 1951)^[30] was a German-born musician, teacher and composer in Australia,^[31] founder of the N.S.W. Youth Symphony Orchestra and Choir.^[32]

Arline Estelle Lower (died 1990) was an Adelaide pianist^[33] who, at around 16 years of age, achieved considerable success at the Easter 1912 competitions in Launceston.^[34] She joined Sauer's concert party sometime around 1915^[35] and married him in May 1924 and became generally known as Arline Sauer the following month.^[36] They divorced in 1946^[37] 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.^[38] 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,^[39] and in 1949 for baritone Donald Graham and Betty Kable, the New Zealand violinist.^[40]

Other works include:

• Pixie-land (c. 1932): three songs for medium voice by Arline Lower

1. Pixie pipers

2. Pixie revels

3. LullabyLower 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.^[41]

References

1. News: Prof. C. Sauer . . 25,679 . New South Wales, Australia . 24 April 1920 . 6 June 2018 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: Music and the Drama . . 268 . Queensland, Australia . 7 July 1934 . 20 October 2017 . 20 . National Library of Australia.
3. Web site: The Magic Gum Tree . Sydney Morning Herald . 27 August 1934 .
4. Web site: Sydney's Big Music Festival Launched . Sun . 26 August 1934 .
5. Web site: St. Dominic's School, East Camberwell . Advocate . 3 January 1935 .
6. Web site: Clermont . Central Queensland Herald . 12 December 1935 .
7. Web site: The Magic Gum Tree . Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate . 21 August 1935 .
8. Web site: Old Bonalbo School Concert . Northern Star . 30 August 1935 .
9. Web site: Convent of Mercy, Parkside . Southern Cross . 20 December 1935 .
10. Web site: Thousand Voices Concerts . Advertiser . 23 September 1936 .
11. Web site: Trangie Convent Concert . Narromine News and Trangie Advocate . 2 December 1937 .
12. Web site: Heralds of the King . Balonne Beacon . 23 September 1937 .
13. Web site: School Concert . Coffs Harbour Advocate . 7 December 1937 .
14. Web site: Armidale 51 Years Ago . Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser . 3 February 1939 .
15. Web site: Convent School Concert at Bundarra . Uralla Times . 15 December 1938 .
16. Web site: Musical Play . Maitland Daily Mercury . 2 July 1938 .
17. Web site: Glenorchy School Concert . Mercury . 14 December 1939 .
18. Web site: The Social Round in Canberra . Canberra Times . 13 December 1939 .
19. Web site: The Magic Gum Tree . Wellington Times . August 1940 .
20. Web site: Convent Concert . Northern Times . 28 November 1940 .
21. Web site: Japoon Notes . Cairns Post . 6 December 1941 .
22. Web site: St Scholastica's College . Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser . 18 December 1941 .
23. Web site: Islington School Concert . Newcastle Sun . 2 May 1941 .
24. Web site: Convent Concert . Manilla Express . 27 November 1942 .
25. Web site: Talented Tiny Tots . Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative . 24 August 1942 .
26. Web site: Rockhampton Diocese . Catholic Press . 22 January 1942 .
27. Web site: Advertising . Advocate . 8 November 1946 .
28. Web site: Convent Concert . Forbes Advocate . 26 September 1947 .
29. Web site: School Concert . Pinnaroo and Border Times . 21 December 1950 .
30. News: Family Notices . . 35,321 . New South Wales, Australia . 6 March 1951 . 6 November 2024 . 20 . National Library of Australia. married to Doris
31. News: Colac Competitions . . XLIII . 4593 . Victoria, Australia . 29 April 1912 . 6 November 2024 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
32. News: Prof. Sauer dies suddenly . . 12,824 . New South Wales, Australia . 6 March 1951 . 6 November 2024 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
33. News: Broadcast Recital . . XCIV . 27,277 . South Australia . 17 January 1929 . 6 November 2024 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
34. News: Musical Notes . . XLIX . 14,600 . South Australia . 27 April 1912 . 6 June 2018 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
35. News: Kapunda Herald . . LI . 3,820 . South Australia . 27 August 1915 . 6 November 2024 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
36. News: The World of Women . . 13,893 . New South Wales, Australia . 18 June 1924 . 6 November 2024 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
37. News: In Divorce . . 34,004 . New South Wales, Australia . 17 December 1946 . 6 November 2024 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
38. News: Mezzo-Soprano Is Six Feet One in Height . . New South Wales, Australia . 26 June 1947 . 6 November 2024 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
39. News: 20,000 at Carols Festival . . X . 6 . New South Wales, Australia . 26 December 1948 . 6 November 2024 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
40. News: Donald Graham's Recital . . New South Wales, Australia . 8 March 1949 . 6 November 2024 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
41. News: Czech wins prize in migrant art contest . . 23 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 1 June 1952 . 7 November 2024 . 3 . National Library of Australia.

External links

• Piano/vocal score with dialogue