1986
Love and Friendship
Composed by 
David Leisner
David Leisner Text by Emily Brontë
Confiding Song Collection
"Love and Friendship" is the seventh song of David Leisner's song cycle Confiding, which sets the poetry of women poets.
This cycle is available in versions for high voice and piano, medium voice and piano, and high voice and guitar.
The audio selection in the player to the right features Mary Ann Hart, mezzo-soprano, and Jon Klibonoff, piano. The recording is from a live performance in New York in 1990 (unrevised piano version). Used with the permission of the composer.
Text
Love and Friendship
by Emily Brontë
Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree –
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He still may leave thy garland green.
Related Information
Theodore Presser
presser.com/Composers/info.cfm?Name=DAVIDLEISNERAudio
“Love and Friendship” (from “Confiding”)
Mary Ann Hart (mezzo-soprano) & Jon Klibonoff (piano)1:51