A Hymn of Hope by Emily Dickinson (1830–1899) describes hope as ‘the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words’. It is strong enough to supply the soul with warmth, even in ‘the chillest land and on the strangest sea’. Fredrik Sixten sets the poem for high (female) voices, comparing hope with a songbird using musical motifs. The composition was commissioned by the Mädchenchor, Hannover.