Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal - ​Set by Roger Quilter (1877-1953), Words by Alfred Tennyson (1850-1892)

Roger Quilter was a 20th century era composer known primarily for his art songs. He has several songs dedicated to nature and flowers (Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind, Go Lovely Rose, etc) and is known for bridging elaborate and beautiful piano parts with tempo and timbre changes, as well as mixed meter. The common thread through his songs though, is their gentleness and their beauty, becoming a staple in young singers’ repertoire.

​Quilter was a part of the Frankfurt Group, which is a group of composers who studied at the Hoch Conservatory in the late 1890’s. This piece relies on a gentle piano part as well as a simple, floating melody to portray the scenes of someone pondering whatever it is you ponder in the early hours of the morning, when the flowers, the stones, and the water are all still asleep.

Roger Quilter - Classical Music composers. Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.pcmsconcerts.org/composer/roger-quilter/