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]
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.
^"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.
^"New Music". Sydney Morning Herald. Trove. 26 November 1910. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
^"Musical Extravaganza". Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser. Trove. 4 August 1933. Retrieved 16 September 2017.