From the Press of A. P. Schmidt

Canadian-American composer Gena Branscombe Tenney (1881–1977) was born in Picton, Ontario, and studied music in both the United States and  Germany. She won the Chicago Musical College's gold medal for composition in both 1901 and 1902. And in 1905, she sold the first of many compositions to a music publisher who also became her friend.

That publisher, of course, was Arthur P. Schmidt. Over the next twenty years, Schmidt and his successors at the Arthur P. Schmidt Co. would publish dozens of Branscombe’s songs, choral works, and piano pieces. “You are so good to me,” wrote Branscombe to her publisher in a letter from 1915. “I wonder if you know how sincerely I appreciate it.”

First issued in December of that year, “I Bring You Heartsease” became one of the composer’s most successful art songs. Schmidt also produced arrangements for vocal trio and for voice with orchestral accompaniment. He ultimately printed thousands of copies of the song in order to meet public demand.

Branscombe wrote the lyrics to the song herself:

I bring you heartsease and roses,

I bring you hyacinths rare:
I bring you lilies and sweet mignonette,
And laurel to weave in your hair.


For love is sweetest in springtime,
And flowers to lovers belong;
But ah, my dearest, our love will live

When the springtime flowers are gone.

I bring you flowers of mem’ry,

I bring you sadness and tears.

I bring you tenderness deeper than words

Thro’ all the wonderful years. 


For life cannot hold all our loving,

And twilight is sweeter than dawn;
And the love that is best is the love that has lived
When the springtime of youth has gone.

🔎 View full score at the International Music Score Library Project.