The musical style of Hope Is Here is similar to Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman version). Similar in the sense that the music is best sung syncopated, and there is not that much gap between phrases to take breath. I feel Hope is Here has a kind of ‘strong moving pace’; although Blessed Be Your Name also feels it has a ‘strong moving pace’, the feel is different.
The pace of Hope is Here is like filling a cup already overflowing.
Blessed Be Your Name an affirmation of God is good, and that reinforces our own faith.
Life has hit a rock. Your immediate action is to spend time with God so he can restore you.
The pace of Hope is Here is like filling a cup already overflowing. You could not hold back something, you are feeling the goodness in some very visible way, you are telling others, you face glowing with excitement.
The pace of Blessed Be Your Name is not so ‘tell it out there’ as Hope is Here. You got to honour the story how this song came about. It’s at the cusp of praising God, blessing his name because of his promises, despite the fact we are facing great hardship. It’s an affirmation of God is good, and that reinforces our own faith. Life has hit a rock. Your immediate action is to spend time with God so he can restore you.
You can look at the music of Blessed Be Your Name to compare the melodic style. MUS 002 shows the opening melody.
Back to Hope is Here.
If you take the first 2 bars as the first phrase, then you have the next 2 bars as the second phrase; both of these make the first ‘part’. (I can’t think of a better terminology for ‘part’.) MUS 003 shows first and second phrases.
This first part is then repeated in the second part – exactly the same in melody and harmonic structure. You can check this in your music.
I think purely looking at the music is slightly boring, but if you are singing (rather than playing the music), then you note the lyrics take you much further. It feels like the lyrics are telling ‘old’ fundamental truth; it’s like reciting the ten commandments, doing that gives you a sense of rhythm. You get that sense of rhythm every time you recite it.
To be continued…
