Musical play by Alfred Wheeler
cover art The Magic Basket is a musical play written in 1940 for children by Australian composer Alfred Wheeler .[1] The score includes dialogue and fourteen tunes. Action occurs on a single magical moon-scape set. There are twelve speaking parts and additional chorus.
The plot involves a group of children whisked to a magical land in the moon, where they help the Sandman to recover his bag of sleep-dust from the Goblin . The children are transported in a basket, hence the title.
Oh isn't it fun to live in the moon?
Whatever can we do
I sweep the sky
My basket brave and I
Derry derry down Oh!
Galloping, galloping up in the sky
The sandman
Tippetty tippetty toe
Goblins bold are we
If you will be a meddlesome Matty
The deed is done
Bong! goes the gong
One song before we part
Lullaby 1940 Lauriston Girls' School , Melbourne (premiere)[2]
1940 Wyalong , New South Wales[3]
1940 Mount Barker, South Australia [4]
1943 Cloncurry, Queensland[5]
1943 Adelaide, South Australia[6]
1944 Benalla, Victoria[7]
1945 Port Pirie, South Australia[8]
1945 Newcastle, New South Wales[9]
1946 Adelaide[10]
1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[11]
1946 North Lismore, New South Wales[12]
1946 Newcastle, New South Wales[13]
1947 Broken Hill[14]
1947 Wagga Wagga, New South Wales[15]
1947 Lismore, New South Wales[16]
1947 Shepparton, Victoria[17]
1947 Grafton, New South Wales[18]
1948 Mackay[19]
1949 Wyalong, New South Wales[20]
1949 Southport, Queensland[21]
1949 Scone, New South Wales[22]
1950 Nanson, Western Australia [23]
1950 Hay, New South Wales[24]
1950 Maddington, Western Australia[25]
1951 Launceston, Tasmania[26]
1951 Sunshine, Victoria[27]
1951 Burnie, Tasmania[28]
1952 Maryborough, Queensland[29]
1952 Braidwood, New South Wales[30]
1952 Adelaide, South Australia[31]
1952 Grafton, New South Wales[32]
1953 Southbrook, Queensland[33]
1954 Kygole, New South Wales[34]
1954 Broken Hill, South Australia[35]
1954 Townsville, Queensland[36]
1954 Lithgow, New South Wales[37]
1955 Parramatta District Primary Schools, starring Bob Winley as Mr Moonshine and Elaine Marriott as The Queen
1957 Penrith, New South Wales[38]