About the Hymn
I found Rice's obscure text (it appears in only one hymnal) and felt it deserved to be sung! The imagery is that of light and shadows, with every stanza evoking a sense of longing. I thought—of all things!—of the dwarves from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. So I composed the melody unmistakeably inspired by the songs Thorin Oakenshield's party sang before setting out for the Lonely Mountain and that Gimli might have sung while navigating the mines of Moria.
The sense of mission and hope captured by Rice in this text is inspiring, and my prayer is that believers will enjoy and be edified by this hymn for many years to come.