“Heritage” program note
Fantasia on Waltzing Matilda
On returning to Adelaide, one of Miriam Hyde’s first major projects was writing a significant portion of the music for the 1936 South Australia Centenary ‘Heritage’ Pageant. This large-scale production, scripted by Ellinor Walker and directed by Heather Gell, involved a 30-piece orchestra and a cast of 500, and ran for ten nights from 23 September 1936. It was described in the Advertiser: ‘The personifications of Justice, Freedom, and Fellowship welcomed the Spirit of South Australia, and dancers representing gum leaves, gum blossoms, gumnuts, animals, rosella parrots, magpies, blue orchids, wattle and spider orchids whirled about the stage….’ Thelma Thomas (later Afford) designed all of the costumes, some of which can be viewed online in the NSW State Library’s digital archive. This Fantasia was originally an overture for a scene involving a swagman, and due to its popularity Hyde later transcribed it for various instrumentations, including this piano trio version.
Miriam Hyde at work in Coogee, Sydney, 1937 (from ‘Complete Accord’ p. 88.)
To purchase the score for this work, please visit the Australian Music Centre.
Background image for page – Landscape with swagman, by Gordon Coutts (from Art Gallery NSW)