Arnesen: There We Shall Rest When the first tempo marking in the sheet music says ‘Devotionally,’ one can guess what to expect: something prayerful and worshipful. Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980) chose a text by 5th century North African theologian and philosopher St. Augustine of Hippo: words of rest and love, peace, and praise. For its opening pages, Arnesen’s setting flows gently. However, as the imagery of the text grows more profound, he sends the music rising in rapture: “Behold what will be at the end without end, For what other end do we have, If not to reach the kingdom which has no end?” Returning to images of rest, closing pages suggest timelessness, as of eternal hope. The work is close to the hearts of the singers of Kantorei. Arnesen’s There We Shall Rest was premiered by the chorus in 2016.