Roger Quilter - Suite from "Where the Rainbow Ends" (1911)

Roger Cuthbert Quilter (1 November 1877 – 21 September 1953) was an English composer, known particularly for his songs.

Orchestral Suite from the Children's Fairy Play "The Land Where the Rainbow Ends" (1911)
Written by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey, music by Roger Quilter.

1. Moderato (0:00)
2. Will O' the Wisp (3:22)
3. Rosamund (7:00)
4. Fairy Frolic (10:09)
5. The Dragon Forest (11:52)

Northern Sinfonia conducted by Richard Hickox

Roger Quilter's "Where the Rainbow Ends" suite was performed at the 1912 Proms on 26 September 1912. The music became known throughout the whole world through the medium of the BBC who were constantly broadcasting it on the radio.

On 23 December 1937, the 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) was taken by Queen Mary (Mary of Teck) to see a performance of "Where the Rainbow Ends" at The Holborn Empire, London. The Queen and Princess rose with the audience and the actors and joined in singing the National Anthem with a new specially written Rainbow verse that had been written for them.

After "Where the Rainbow Ends" was first staged, Clifford Mills quickly turned the story into a novel, which saw a number of editions.

In 1921 the play was made into a film, directed by Horace Lisle Lucoque. It was one of Roger Livesey's first screen performances.

The play with music was performed professionally every year for 49 years (except for two years) including during the two World Wars. Despite the financial success of the show, and the capacity houses, it became ever more difficult to find a theatre in which to stage the production. The last professional production was at the Granada Theatre, Sutton, in Surrey, in the 1959-60 season, with Anton Dolin taking the part of St. George. The show was unquestionably successful and for years part of the regular Christmas scene, along with "Peter Pan" (which had been premièred years earlier in 1904). After its last professional season it has been performed regularly by amateur groups all over the country.

A 1976-77 production at the Gardner Theatre, Brighton, featured Simon Gipps-Kent.