My mother passed away in 2009. After a long illness.
I was sitting with her by her bedside in her final moments.
I had one hand on her heart, and one hand on the crown of her head as she took her final breaths. I had read from Sri Ramana Maharshi that this is the correct posture to assist a soul to leave the body unhindered.
As she took her final breath, I saw something like a beautiful astral curtain opening, and I went with her as she flew into this new space … then I remembered I had to come back, and I let her go and came back to the chair where I was sitting with her dead body.
As I sat there for a few moments in silence with my hand still on her heart, and with my whole consciousness very expanded, I heard this song playing in my head, fully formed with both the words and music.
In the days that followed I went into a very deep and solitary meditation where I had many images and insights about this journey that my mother’s spirit was making, and about questions of mortality and spirituality. I also received seven more songs to go with Beautiful Bird as a set.
Collectively these songs are called Song of The Pure Land. They are a deep meditation on the nature of death, a set of guidances for both those making the passage and those left behind. A song of mourning also of honouring loved ones that make the passage.
I’ve never made a proper recording of the song before, and I was really touched when I heard this beautiful version by Holly. I love the gentle, ethereal character of her voice and her interpretation of the song.
Listen here:
https://adrianfreedman.bandcamp.com/album/beautiful-bird-ethereal-version
The original version of Beautiful Bird can be heard here, together with the other songs from the set, recorded live in a sacred ceremony:
https://adrianfreedman.bandcamp.com/track/beautiful-bird-live
The songbook itself can be found here:
https://adrianfreedman.com/product/song-of-the-eternal-heart-songbook/
Some words from Holly about “Beautiful Bird”:
I was there at the poignant moment when Adrian sang this song for the very first time. I loved it so much, this beautiful song of freedom and letting go. It still gives me goosebumps now, just like it did back then. A special song with a touching story. Thank you for this magical song Adrian.
Singing sacred songs with Adrian was such a heartfelt experience. He was part of the reason I started writing my own. I’m grateful for those times and although I’m far away in Scotland now, I love that I can play my harp and record my own version of this gorgeous song, Beautiful Bird. It’s an offering to the heavens.
Holly creates magical, ethereal harp melodies which take the listener to other-worldly realms where they spiral high with a chorus of angels. She’s just released her first album, La Navigatrice, on Bandcamp, which offers a celestial experience through seven cosmic harp journeys.
Check about Holly works here:
https://www.hollyhoneychurch.com/
https://hollyhoneychurch.bandcamp.com/releases
https://la-navigatrice.bandcamp.com/album/la-navigatrice
https://insighttimer.com/hollyhoneychurch