The Rose

SATB, piano, optional string quartet
Lyrics: Christina Rossetti
Language: English
Duration: 3:30

The premiere recording of The Rose is featured on my Winter Songs album (Decca Classics, 2017), performed by the Choir of Royal Holloway and 12 Ensemble.

Link to the album: Winter Songs

The lily has a smooth stalk,
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her brier
Is lady of the land.

There’s sweetness in an apple tree,
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.

When with moss and honey
She tips her bending brier,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.