From: Lily, Act I, Scene II
Category: Opera Aria / Duet
Instrumentation: tenor, soprano, piano
Original Scoring: Voices and orchestra
Arrangement: Piano part arranged from the orchestral score
Duration: 6 minutes

I Have Said I Love You / I Dare Not Dream is an ultra-romantic excerpt from Act I, Scene II of Lily. It begins with Selden’s aria, I Have Said I Love You, in which he declares his love for Lily and hopes that she may return it.

The aria leads into the duet I Dare Not Dream, where Lily and Selden express their love for one another. This scene captures one of the opera’s most intimate emotional moments, allowing Baxter’s lyrical melodic writing to unfold through both solo expression and romantic vocal dialogue.

This excerpt requires warm lyricism, expressive pacing, and strong dramatic connection between the two singers. The transition from aria to duet should feel natural, as private longing becomes shared confession.