by Caroline Mischka (flourished 1896-1904)
The rose of Avon‑town
Language: English
Once bloomed a rose in Avontown, A rose as red as the morning. Its thorns were sharp, but its heart was gold, And diamond dewdrops its cup did hold. A rose, for a bride's adorning. A bride there was in Avontown, The bride of a bright June morning, The lovely rose she chanced to see, And said, Tis an emblem of what my life will be, I'll pluck it for my adorning. Spake the bride of Avontown: For the thorns are for grief and mourning, With a petal for youth and one for health, And another for fame, and two for wealth, With the heart for love, life's adorning. Now as she was wed in Avontown, In the blush of the bright June morning, The rose's red petals all fell away, And naught but the thorny stem did stay, With the heart of gold, adorning. The bride waxed old in Avontown, The bride of the bright June morning, Her rosy dreams long flown away. But happy was she though bent and gray, Love stayed, her life adorning.
Text Authorship:
- by Caroline Mischka (flourished 1896-1904) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "The rose of Avon-town", op. 30 (1896), published 1896 [soprano, women's chorus, and piano], also published in 2018 in a version for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Women's Philharmonic Advocacy [ sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Liane Curtis
This text was added to the website: 2019-01-15
Line count: 25
Word count: 177