Gervase ELWES ~ NOW SLEEPS THE CRIMSON PETAL ~ LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY (1916)

"Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal" (Tennyson) / (arranged by Roger Quilter) / "Love's Philosophy" (Shelley) / (arranged by Roger Quilter) / Recorded: 1916 / Speed: 80 rpm

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NOW SLEEPS THE CRIMSON PETAL (abridged) / (Lord Alfred Tennyson)

Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;
Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;
Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:
The firefly wakens: waken thou with me.

Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
And slips into the bosom of the lake:
So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip
Into my bosom and be lost in me.

LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY (Percy Bysshe Shelley)

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?
See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it's brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

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Gervase Elwes (1866-1921), an English tenor of great distinction and a strong proponent of modern English song. Many composers wrote songs especially for him.

About Elwes, composer Vaughan Williams wrote:

"The grosser aspects of passion and feeling were repugnant to him, and the transparent sincerity and honesty of his nature made it impossible to stimulate those emotions. The strength of his art lay in his power of making the candour and uprightness of his character an actual part of his singing."

And composer Roger Quilter:

"He was the easiest person to accompany. He carried you away with him and, although he sometimes varied the way he sang a song, you felt so at one with him that you became almost unconscious of what you were doing. He inspired me so much that I could never have written in quite the same way if I had not known Gervase."

Gervase Elwes died tragically during a high profile tour of the United States when, stepping off a train in Boston, MA, and realizing he had mistakenly taken someone else's jacket, rushed back to return the item, only to slip and fall between the platform and the already moving train (the Opal CD incorrectly states that he died while heroically rescuing lives in a railway disaster).

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gervase
• Elwes
• Now
• Sleeps
• the
• Crimson
• Petal
• Tennyson
• Shelley
• Quilter
• Acoustic
• 78
• rpm
• Phonograph
• Silhouette
• CurzonRoad

[Shanniquitie]

to be so beautifully corrected... this is something else entirely. thank you for sharing this with me.

[CurzonRoad]

Thank YOU! While perhaps not a voice most will immediately take to, over time Elwes kind of works his sure, gentle, dignified magic. A voice long forgotten... in grateful appreciation, again thank YOU! Cheers, etc. Doug --

[marsvltor2]

Interesting fact about Elwes: his family were of virtually aristocratic standing, and hated the fact that Gervase earned money from singing in public...

[CurzonRoad]

Thanks... and yes, so I've read. Started out in the Foreign Service, no? While his timbre may not appeal immediately to all, the voice does indeed grow on you. Under-appreciated.... nonetheless a real favorite here. Cheers, etc.

[pax41]

I have always liked Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal. I heard a version on Vanity Fair that I liked but it sounds very different.

[CurzonRoad]

Believe there are at least a few different versions of music set to these fine lyrics... another of which as you note is seen in Vanity Fair (also on youtube). As always, many thanks!

[mayatatyana1]

Doug, I found Elwes' performance touching. Thank you. Maya

[lornabegbie]

This is so effectively presented!!! Beautiful recording, thank you for alerting me this clip.

Lorna

[meltzerboy]

I am not at all disappointed by Elwes' beautiful and skillful handling of these songs. Yet I must say I like Paul Robeson's singing of the first one just as much.

[andyrawn]

DOUG ~

Know (at least!) the melodies of both these quaint old numbers!

Both the songs themselves are enchanted and also Elwes'

impassioned, clear-voiced handling of them!

Wonderful that you're bringing him to the attention of a much wider international audience ~ Bravo!

~ ANDY

[genia106]

This is lovely! Right out of " TheAge of Innocence." Thank you.