Albert Bokhare Saunders
Childhood home on Bokhara River
Childhood home Wirra Warra Station
Background information
Born(1880-01-01)1 January 1880
Brewarrina, New South Wales, Australia
Died(1946-01-01)1 January 1946
Occupation(s)Composer
Years active1900–1940

Albert Bokhare Saunders (1880–1946) was a successful and prolific composer of romantic and light classical music. He worked as an arranger for Sydney music publisher W.H. Palings.[1] He worked under various pseudonyms including Albert Earl and Albert Trelba but is most widely known as Clement Scott.[2][3]

Saunders was born in Brewarrina, rural New South Wales. He has been credited as composer of "Swiss Cradle Song",[4] possibly collected from the Māori folk song "Po Ata Rau" and given English language lyrics as "Now is the Hour", sung by departing troops in The Great War and recalled by patriotic New Zealanders.[5] During his life, he successfully sued a Sydney entertainment producer for breach of copyright, but his widow was unsuccessful making the same claim on Palings for the famous cradle song.[6] The song was an international hit.[7]

On at least one occasion, Saunders acted as bandmaster for a group playing brass. [8]

Several solo piano editions of Saunder's popular "Comet March" are preserved in Australian libraries. The original 1910 edition for trio of piano, cornet and violin[9] seems to have been lost, yet the piece was still being orchestrated by amateurs twenty years later.[10]

Works

Orchestrated works

Saunders composed about three hundred pieces during his lifetime, of which over two hundred are preserved in Australian libraries. His later works show a capacity for originality and counterpoint. These pieces of ensemble music are orchestrated for trio of violin, cornet and piano and sometimes for quartette including double bass.

  • 1913 Swiss Cradle Song
  • 1919 Cuddles
  • 1919 Wirra Warra Schottische
  • Devotion Waltz
  • Alpine Violets
  • Loves Melody [11]
  • 1920 Love's Melody
  • Swiss Scenes [12]
  • Australian Cradle Song (trio for piano, cornet, violin)[13]

Other works

  • Serbian Cradle Song
  • Irish Cradle Song
  • Prince of Diggers[14]
  • "Go ahead!" march for piano
  • Love's melody : a romance for the piano
  • Devotion waltz
  • 1919 Cuddles[15]
  • 1910 Wandering thoughts : tone poem for piano
  • 1910 Wirra warra schottische
  • St. Michaels : fox-trot
  • Happy Moments : eight easy pieces for little fingers
  • Comet March
  • Waratah : pianoforte solo
  • Boronia
  • Flannel Flowers
  • Poppies Gavotte: easy piano solo without octaves[16]
  • Joyful Nights Waltz
  • Kitchener March
  • Scarf Dance
  • Wattle Blossoms
  • (disputed) 1913 Swiss Cradle Song[17]
  • (attributed) Tiny Tunes For Wee Australians [18]

References

  1. ↑ "Moree A Beautiful Town – Immpressions of a former resident". North West Champion. 21 January 1943. Retrieved 16 September 2017 – via Trove.
  2. ↑ "Saunders, A. B. (Albert B) (1880–1946)". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Not to be confused with Clement Scott.
  4. ↑ "Saga of Song in Court Claim". Trove. 2 June 1952. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "NZ Folk Song * Po Atarau / Now is the Hour". folksong.org.nz. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ↑ Smyth, Terry (15 December 2009). "Unsung hero". Stuff. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Old Australian Song is Overseas Hit". Daily News. 20 January 1948.
  8. ↑ "SUNDAY BAND MUSIC". The Sun. No. 725. New South Wales, Australia. 18 February 1917. p. 10. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "New Music". Sydney Morning Herald. Trove. 26 November 1910. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "Musical Extravaganza". Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser. Trove. 4 August 1933. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. ↑ Saunders, A. B. (Albert B.), 1880-1946, Love's melody [music] : a romance for the piano / by A.B. Saunders, Asher's Ltd{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Willnor, Victor, 1880-1946 (1910), Swiss scenes [music] : waltz / by Victor Willnor (in no linguistic content), Anglo American Music Pub. Co{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Australian cradle song [music] : pianoforte solo / Clement Scott. – Version details". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ↑ "Prince of diggers : grand march / by A.B. Saunders – Details". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  15. ↑ "Cuddles [music] / A.B. Saunders. – Version details". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  16. ↑ "Poppies [music] : easy piano solo without octaves / by Albert Earl. – Version details". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  17. ↑ "Swiss cradle song [music] : tone poem, piano solo / by Clement Scott. - Version details". Trove. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  18. ↑ Furnes, Albert, Tiny tunes for wee Australians [music] : a collection of melodies set with words for piano solo without octaves / by Albert Furnes, Allan & Co
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