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Howarde's musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's (q.v.) poem into song was possibly first performed in January 1900, almost a year before Arthur Sullivan's more famous version. When she performed it again in Brisbane later the same year, it was advertised thus: 'Come and hear the latest version of "The Absent-minded Beggar." Written and sung by Miss Kate Howarde. Was received with the wildest enthusiasm. Monday's Courier' (Brisbane Courier 23 May 1900, p.2).
Notes
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Kipling wrote 'The Absent-Minded Beggar' in 1899 as part of an appeal by London's Daily Mail to raise money for the dependents of British soldiers involved in the Boer War. The poem quickly became a hit throughout much the British Commonwealth, with recitals being given both at music halls and theatres. Sir Arthur Sullivan, who set the words to music the following year, found the irregular meter of the words of this song awkward to set, remarking that 'It puzzled me to compose Gilbert's "I Have a Song to Sing, O," but that was child's play compared to the task of setting Kipling's lines' (Farron, n. pag.). The first public performance of the Sullivan's version was 13 November at London's Alhambra Theatre.
NB: The above quotation from Sir Arthur Sullivan has been sourced from Jim Farron's website The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, at http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/index.html.
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An other musical adaptation was also performed in Australia in January 1900; this latter version was composed by Robert Kaye, organist of All Saints Church, Brisbane. According to advertising, half the profits from the sales of the sheet music went to the Queensland Patriotic Fund. The first-known performance was staged at Centennial Hall, Brisbane, under the auspices of the Brisbane Musical Union (ctd. Brisbane Courier 13 January 1900, p.2).
Production Details
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The following dates/locations indicate performances by Kate Howarde only. An asterisk [*] indicates that a date is either approximate or has not yet been determined.
1900: 6 January -*, Theatre Royal (Perth) ; 21 January, Ye Olde Englysh Fayre (Fremantle) ; 29 January -*, Theatre Royal (Perth) ; 19 May -*, Theatre Royal (Brisbane).
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This entry has been sourced from historical research into Australian-written music theatre conducted by Dr Clay Djubal.
