The Works (Queen album) in 1984, Taylor wrote the basics of "Thank God It's Christmas" while May wrote "I Dream of Christmas". The group then had to choose between the two, and opted for "Thank God It's Christmas", which May and Taylor then wrote together. It is rumored that "I Dream Of Christmas" was recorded by the band, though nothing has ever been confirmed. May later worked on "I Dream of Christmas" with his future wife Anita Dobson, which was released as a single in 1988 and also features John Deacon. Written by May some time in 1981, the song was recorded during the
Harriet, the Woman Called Moses singers for a production of "Porgy and Bess". She said that she chose Tubman as her subject because "Harriet is every woman who dared to defy injustice and tyranny—she is Joan of Arc, she is Susan B. Anthony, she is Anne Frank, she is Mother Teresa." As with her previous operas "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1977), "A Christmas Carol" (1979), and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (1981), Musgrave also wrote the libretto. The opera was a joint commission from Virginia Opera and The Royal Opera in London and was written and composed in 1984 while Musgrave was on a