Product Description
"Rest Softly Now" is a gentle lullaby of farewell, centered on the themes of peaceful release, eternal rest, and the transition from life to a serene afterlife. It is sung with warmth and grace, offering comfort to a soul departing from life, or to someone who is grieving. The tempo given, 72, is recommended, but not necessary as the piece is more full when sung rubato.
Key Elements:
Lullaby Imagery: Phrases like soft fades the light and whispered dreams evoke twilight or the moment between sleep and wakefulness metaphorically referencing the passage from life into rest or death.
Spiritual Reassurance: Lines such as gone is fear and peace beyond life and death offer a sense of safety and resolution, suggesting a gentle end rather than one filled with fear or sorrow.
Hope and Continuity: The repetition of to where dawn finds the day hints at renewal or an afterlife the soul moves toward light and peace, not an end, but a transformation.
Tone and Structure: The use of repetition (the chorus returns) and a final Oo version of the first verse enhance the soothing, meditative effect of the song, ideal for moments of reflection or mourning.
Thank you,
Michael Dryna
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.