I Have a Dream is an oratorio by James Furman written in tribute to the composer's friend, Martin Luther King Jr., to whose memory it is dedicated.
Furman described I Have a Dream as "an oratorio in symphonic form which conveys some of the basic concerns of today's world.
These concerns are dramatized within a thirty-five minute musical journey focusing upon human dignity, love, hate, the tragedy of war, peace, beauty, poverty, and the hope for genuine freedom."
A small group of Furman's students have been working to locate the score so the piece can be performed once again, but efforts have been unsuccessful.
The section opens with an instrumental passage with drums, suggestive of an African procession, and continues with baritone soloist and chorus, ending with the Igbo phrase "Makanjo amemeliezindu.
", integrates gospel, full orchestra, and motifs from the opening Africa-themed section, as well as combining Igbo with English.