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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

This eternally beautiful song was written and composed by Stephen Collins Foster in 1864. He was born near Pittsburgh in 1826. One of the last songs he composed before his untimely and tragic death, it has survived the ravages of time to remain popular to this day.

From the age of nine he 'blacked up' and became an amateur minstrel. This was not encouraged and blighted his later career.

He married Jane McDowell, a doctor's daughter, but the marriage foundered. He wrote one of his most endearing songs for her Jeanie (initially Jennie) With the Light Brown Hair. It was revived after his death so that Jane and their daughter might benefit from the royalties. But it failed at the time and they made only 75 cents from it!

In 1864 he fainted in his boarding house room, suffering from TB and alcoholism. When he fell he cut a blood vessel in his neck, and died two days later. He was always naive in his business dealings and although he wrote dozens of songs which sold millions of copies, he died virtually penniless, with 38 cents in his pocket.

Beautiful Dreamer
(Brief Introduction)

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee.
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight, have all pass'd away.
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody.
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng.
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me . . .
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me.

(Brief Interlude)
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelei.
Over the streamlet vapours are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea.
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart.
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me . . .
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me.

It still has a freshness and calmness about it doesn't it? And his lyrics still have a universal appeal (to lovers, anyway!). Other Stephen Foster's songs include Camptown Races, My Old Kentucky Home, and The Old Folks at Home, which became the official song of the State of Florida, and which he sold to a publisher for a mere 15 dollars!

Hope you enjoyed singing along with our arrangement of Stephen's timeless love song . . .

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