Hope Dreams

Lyricist. John Steel

Publisher. Unity Music Publishers

Date. 1924

Key/Range. D Major (d' -- f#")

COMMENTARY

John Steel’s lyric has strong religious overtones without having any explicit sacred or liturgical text or function. Apart from its clear reference to the Christian nativity, the “Star of Hope” was a common literary image of faith and prayer throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Steel’s arcane language with its “book of memories,” “sacred seal,” and “Springtime of roses” is set with a modern tonal language that, nonetheless, does not sound anachronistic. The refrain features one of Tours’ most memorable melodies, its long, wavelike phrases reinforced by octave doubling. This ethereal line, along with the constantly throbbing pedal harmonies in the accompaniment, illustrates the lyric’s theme of yearning and supplication.