Program Notes

The Gum-Suckers March

Percy Grainger, composer

"The Gum-Suckers" March is the fourth movement of Percy Grainger’s In a Nutshell suite for orchestra. "Gum-Suckers" is a nick-name for Australians hailing from the state of Victoria, the home state of the composer. The leaves of the "gum" (eucalyptus) trees are very refreshing to suck in the parching summer weather. In this march, Grainger uses his own "Australian Up-Country-Song" melody to typify Australia, which melody he also employed in his Colonial Song for military band.

—published score

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