Lyr ADD: When Poppies Close Their Eyes

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: When Poppies Close Their Eyes
From: GUEST,Catholic School Boy
Date: 01 Aug 22 - 04:34 PM

We had the most marvelous music instructor for many years at my St. Mary’s School in Orange, Texas. Our choral group got a Superior rating at Jones Hall in Houston. We were 500 students 1-8, going up against schools with thousands of students.

Mrs White taught thousands of students over a very long career to love music. I remember so many of the songs and will catch myself humming or singing them and then realize what song it is and where i got it.

When Poppies Close Their Crimson Eyes is so beautiful and melancholy, the piano notes in the introduction so crisp, then rolls into such a sublime melody.

I learned Mrs White had passed several years ago. I thought of the musical appreciation that she gave to so many of us, who embraced it as part of a life long musical love. I think that what she did and all the she accomplished is what so many education majors wanted to do with their lives, but are deprived of the chance to do so in this crazy, mixed-up world we live in.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: When Poppies Close Their Eyes
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 22 - 11:15 PM

When Poppies close their crimson eyes,

When ripples widen on the river.

When swallows wheel in evening skies,

When willows whisper silken sighs,

My longing heart in fancy flies.

To where the snow-capped mountain lies.


I leave the Alpine village small,

I roam in memory through the valley.

I climb the snowy summit tall,

I see the purple shadows fall,

I see the starry evening fall,

Upon the snow-capped mountain wall.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 09 - 05:40 PM

susan allen
scaldowaldo@gmailcom

Yes, I learned this beautiful song from my elementary school music teacher, and I have been trying to trace it ever since. Who are you, and what do you know about it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: GUEST,Barlow
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 11:46 AM

Yes, I am in Las Cruces. Where are you?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 03:12 AM

Hmmm. I thought something would come up about "When Poppies Close" in our School Songbook Index threads, but I didn't find anything.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: Peace
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 05:20 PM

Barlow,

Are you in Las Cruces, New Mexico?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: GUEST,Barlow
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 05:12 PM

I may be butting in on your thread but I had to let you know I too, have been looking for this song for the last 40 years. My family moved to Chicago when I was 12 years old in 1952 and I was in the 7th grade. My teacher taught it to the class and the melody has been in my head every since. I remembered just a couple of lines of the first verse and sang them over and over. I have never been able to find the music to the song. I think I would give the big toe off my left foot for that piece of sheet music. I would like to record it for myself and anyone else that might want a copy. If you can help please contact me.

Barlow
homebuilders@zianet.

Subject: ADD: When Poppies Close Their Crimson Eyes
From: GUEST,Former Ashland Elem. School stude, Kansas Ci
Date: 03 Sep 06 - 02:50 PM

Hi Frances,

I certainly hope this message reaches you, as I have loved this song since I, too, sang it in elementary school.

When Poppies Close Their Crimson Eyes

When poppies close their crimson eyes,
When ripples widen on the river,
When swallows wheel in evening skies,
When willows whisper silken sighs,
My longing heart in fancy flies
To where the snowcapped mountains rise.

I see the Alpine village small.
I roam in mem'ry through the valleys.
I climb the snowy summits tall.
I see the purple shadows crawl.
I see the starry evening fall.
Upon the snowcapped mountain wall.

When I was moving from Boston to California in 1984, there was lots of land through which my car antenna could receive no radio stations to entertain me. So I entertained myself. I loved that song so much that I HAD to remember it. And when driving across Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, there was a lot of time to think of the correct words. Then, since I did not want to lose them again, I wrote them. I have now lost the paper, but retained the words in my memory.

Yesterday, I sang that song to my sister who teaches gifted students and was compiling lyrics to their songs. I asked her if she remembered "When poppies..." This morning, she couldn't remember the words that I sang to her, so before she called me, she searched Google and found your request. I am so happy to be able to share this wonderful song with you. I certainly wish the songwriter(s) knew how much it has meant to both you and me through the years.

There is another one we sang, "I know a green cathedral...", and I would love to have the sheet music to both. That was a great year for elementary school choral music.

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Click to play

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Green Cathedral thread

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 09:12 AM

Not much help, but there's a song titled "When poppies close their eyes" HERE (Index to song titles) (a long page).
~Masato

Subject: When poppies close their crimson eyes
From: GUEST,Francis
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 01:33 AM

Does anyone know the lyrics to a song that begins this way? Additional lines are: "when ripples widen on the river"; "when swallows wheel in silken skies"; and something about "upon the snowcapped mountain wall". I learned this song as a youngster in school and would love to have the whole song. Thanks.