The “Gum-Suckers” March
 Percy Aldridge GRAINGER (1882-1961)

The version for wind band of The “Gum-Suckers” March was made in 1942, and it is the only movement from the suite In A Nutshell (for symphony orchestra) that was transcribed for wind band by the composer. ‘Gum-sucker is an Australian nick-name for Australians born in Victoria, the home state of the composer. The eucalyptus trees that abound in Victoria are called “gums”, and the young shoots at the bottom of the trunk are called “suckers”; so “gum-sucker” came to mean a young native son of Victoria, just as Ohioans are nick-named “Buck-eyes”. In my march I have made use of my “Australian Up-Country Song” melody, written to typify Australia.’

Grainger used what he called “tone-clashfulness”, i.e. writing of independent harmonies for the various families of instruments, not bothered by possible dissonance. The lyric theme from this march can also be found in Colonial Song and Australian Up-Country Song. The second theme contains motives from The Widow’s Party March.

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