ABSTRACT
The Harmonica Concerto and his contributions to the Alfred Hill Variations are the only instances of completed post-Corroboree orchestral works with no extramusical associations. The piano score is still titled The Sentimental Bloke; however the production notes and scenario accompanying it already carry the revised title A Sentimental Suite, as does the orchestral score. In 1958 the Newcastle City Council began planning celebrations to mark the centenary; and for the occasion, remarkably, decided to commission not only a lavishly illustrated book, but also a major orchestral work. Paean was John Henry Antill's last orchestral work of significant scope and substance. At the time of his retirement from the Australian Broadcasting Commission, however, he was involved in a noteworthy project – namely a collaborative composition to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Alfred Hill and titled Variations on a Theme of Alfred Hill.
