Crown of Roses, The (string quartet)

Title: The Crown of Roses

Composer: P. I. Tchaikovsky, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin 1; Violin 2; Viola; Cello

Printout: 4 pages

Note: Also known by the simple title “A Legend”, this beautiful chorus is often performed at Christmas services. In 1883, Tchaikovsky composed the original version for tenor and piano, transcribing it a year later for solo voice and orchestra. In 1889 he rearranged it for a cappella chorus. Interestingly, when performed in English, The Crown of Roses is usually sung with text translated from the Russian versions, which were themselves translations of an English poem by Richard Henry Stoddard.

The violin 1 part in this arrangement is playable on flute or oboe.