The Last Rose

October 1st, 2016

Premiered at the 808 Gallery in Boston, MA (live recording below)
Sarah Brailey, soprano & cellist (or violist)

“A world premiere of ‘The Last Rose,’ by Jessica Meyer (b. 1974) who was in the audience, reached one of the evening’s high points. The fearless doubler, soprano/cellist Sarah Brailey made of it something truly affecting.”

Boston Musical Intelligencer

PROGRAM NOTE

“The Last Rose” is a setting of Thomas Moore’s poem “The Last Rose of Summer” that serves as a commentary on how certain uses of social media, the internet, and texting can make humans feel even lonelier than before this technology was invented. Many thanks to amazing soprano/cellist Sarah Brailey for making this happen, and to the Lorelei Ensemble for programming it. 

TEXT

‘Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.

I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter,
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered,
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?