May the Red Rose Live Alway is a song written and composed by Stephen Foster in 1850.

is similar to Irish musician Thomas Moore's "The Last Rose of Summer".

Music historians have postulated that this may give the setting an image of stalling the passage of time.

Foster has placed additional fermatas throughout the song, possibly with similar effects in mind.

Thus, the ad lib designation was scarcely used by Foster and can, in fact, be found in only two of the composer's previous songs: "Mary Loves the Flowers" (1850) and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" (1854).

Foster did return to writing parlor songs in 1860, most notably "Beautiful Dreamer," published in 1864 just after the composer's death.

[2] While not as well known as many of Foster's other popular tunes, the song features prominently in arranger Robert Russell Bennett's A Commemoration Symphony - "Stephen Foster"- the first three movements are purely orchestral, but the four-part chorus appears in grandeur in movement IV (Allegro Quasi Recitativo) with "Ah!

The arrangement retains all of Foster's fermatas from the printed edition, which lends it both rubato and the sense of timelessness described above.

Spreading their petals in mute delight When morn in its radiance breaks, Keeping a floral festival Till the night-loving primrose wakes -- Long may the daisies dance the field, Frolicking far and near!

Sad is my heart for the blighted plants -- Its pleasures are aye as brief -- They bloom at the young year's joyful call, And fade with the autumn leaf: Ah!