1868 must have been an unusual year for the songwriter
Septimus Winner. He was an experienced creator of musical numbers, yet not of
hymns. So when he wrote one called “Whispering Hope”, perhaps in Philadelphia,
apparently Winner’s lifelong home (see its flag here), he must have been
motivated in a different vein from what typically sparked his productivity. Was
he writing about his own hope, or rather to spur someone else’s? Was there a
deep grief that afflicted him, as he suggests in the song’s refrain? And, how
come he appended a name--a woman’s name, even--to this song that would divert attention
from his real moniker? This song of hope is said to have been his last really
successful composition (see song-writers hall of fame link below). What do you
think Winner would have said if he were told this was his last winner?
Septimus Winner might also be known as Alice Hawthorne, a
pseudonym (among many he applied to himself) that was used by Winner, this 19th
Century popular songwriter who at the age of 41 was at the midpoint of his
composing career. Hawthorne was a reference to his mother (Mary Ann), who was a
relative of Nathaniel Hawthorne, a construction that Winner may have employed,
like other prolific writers, that allowed publishers of the era to include a
more apparently diverse repertoire in their song collections. Hawthorne was
also a name reserved for perhaps Winner’s most touching songs, a group known as
“Hawthorne’s Ballads”, including “Whispering Hope”. He’d been producing songs
for 17 years by 1868, and would do so for another 17 years, but none of his
other songs are readily identified as hymns among musical historians. This
talented composer evidently wanted to say something at the age of 41 that he hadn’t
deliberately said before, and would not say again. Nevertheless, he expressed
something that resonates with believers still 150 years later. For a fellow who
only rarely articulated his faith musically, his effort was not amateurish, but
in fact pretty special. It makes one
yearn to hear more of the potential in Winner’s soul. We can only speculate
about what else might have been. Add to that speculative venture a discussion
of what was behind “Whispering Hope”. What was the ‘sorrow’ to which he returns
throughout the song’s refrain? Could it
have been the rewards he may have regretted forfeiting, when he sold for a mere
pittance ($5) the song “Listen to the Mockingbird”, which sold 15 to 20 million
copies subsequently! Winner was also scandalized
by the American Civil War, landing in jail briefly for treason after publishing
in 1862 a song to persuade (a failed attempt) President Lincoln to reinstate
General George McClellan. He also wrote many other songs addressing the war’s
issues during the period (see bottom link below); it wouldn’t be surprising if he
still felt the war’s profound impact even by 1868 – certainly others did. Was
he expressing something for his country, even?
Hope doesn’t come in like a gusty wind, Winner says. But, it
does advance, if you notice in Winner’s poetry. In perhaps its infancy (Winner’s
1st verse), hope is indeed soft, and could be discounted while the ‘tempest’
rages. At night (verse 2), hope is only apparent like a star when juxtaposed to
the inky darkness. Yet, it grows inevitable, like the approach of dawn. By
verse 3, I’m hugging that hope like an anchor. No way it can drift, true? Could
this have been Winner’s experience too, or what he witnessed among others about
him? Is my hope growing louder, more certain now than before? How’s yours? Winner
might say if you can still hear it, though it whispers, that’s loud enough.
See following sites for information on the composer and the
song’s verses:
http://www.pdmusic.org/winner.html
