Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1408466 Composed by Margaret Ada Sutherland. Arranged by John Ivor Holland. 20th Century,Classical,Folk. 84 pages. John Ivor Holland #991057. Published by John Ivor Holland (A0.1408466). Margaret Sutherland was one of the most innovative and influential Australian composers. In the first half of the twentieth century, her desire to be both serious composer and mother was atypical, and she faced significant challenges – public and private – in blending these roles. Against the backdrop of an unhappy and unsupportive marriage and a society not yet ready to accept her creative ambitions and strong views on Australia’s musical development, she remained admirably steadfast in pursuing her goals. Sutherland created over two hundred compositions, ceaselessly campaigned on behalf of Australian music and musicians, and led the initial push to construct what is now Arts Centre Melbourne. In her attempts to redefine beauty in music she used idiosyncratic musical language, being at the mercy of ‘sound pictures’ and ‘floating ideas’. Not much is known about this particular piece, 'Bush Ballad', save that its opening folk-like melody and sinewy variations on it are rather wonderful and very indicative of Sutherland's style - certain portions of the score seemed to be missing, and there were several handwritten corrections, so a certain amount of reconstruction and editing has been necessary to present this arrangement for full band.
