I once was asked, \u201cWhat defines the North? What is Northernness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLight, Dark, and Love,\u201d came my spontaneous reply. \u201cThat\u2019s what the North is to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Up here, summer and winter are periods when we live in concentrated light or darkness. Spring and fall are times of transition, and we are always aware of our exact position on the annual scale of light to dark. \u201cIt\u2019ll be lighter again soon,\u201d we say encouragingly to one another when December is darkest. \u201cWe\u2019ll be moving in the other direction soon.\u201d When summer comes, we glory in the bright evenings, the bright nights, but we know it won\u2019t be long before darkness descends again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although I grew up in the south of Sweden, for my entire adult life I have been interested in the north. For twenty years we had a cabin up in \u00c5ngermanland. That gave me new perspectives. Every summer I go hiking in the northern mountains, and in 1999 I had the opportunity to join a research expedition to the Canadian Arctic. For a month, I lived on an icebreaker vessel. I had to get used to seeing the world map as circumpolar, with the North Pole at its centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Light, Dark, and Love. What else is the North?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, in the far north multilingualism is very marked. Many lands and cultures come together here. Sweden, Norway, and Finland all meet at a point called Treriksr\u00f6set. The Sapmi region, traditionally inhabited by the Sami people, stretches across the entire Arctic area of the Scandinavian countries, from Norway in the west to the Kola Peninsula of Russia in the east. Here, people speak not only Sami but also Kven and Me\u00e4nkieli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus a piece for the ARcTic ensemble took shape that uses poems by Swedish poets, sung in Swedish, but translated into and recited in Sami. A piece about light, dark, and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither the moon nor the sun nor the stars<\/p>\n\n\n\n gave me light<\/p>\n\n\n\n The darkness gave me light<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the light of love in me<\/p>\n\n\n\n through whose body its rays beam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Gunnar Ekel\u00f6f, translation Linda Schenck<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moon floats silently in the night,<\/p>\n\n\n\n the clear sky is shimmering with stars,<\/p>\n\n\n\n shimmering over hill and water,<\/p>\n\n\n\n shimmering over you and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Karin Rehnqvist, transl. Robin Blanton<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where darkness was you are<\/p>\n\n\n\n and you bear light upon your shoulders,<\/p>\n\n\n\n where grief was you are<\/p>\n\n\n\n and joy shines yellow <\/p>\n\n\n\n as the dandelion at your heels,<\/p>\n\n\n\n where death was you are<\/p>\n\n\n\n and this is life,<\/p>\n\n\n\n yes, tremendous life<\/p>\n\n\n\n that I drink from the cup of your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Sandro Key-\u00c5berg, transl. Robin Blanton<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varken m\u00e5nen, solen eller stj\u00e4rnorna <\/p>\n\n\n\n gav mig ljus<\/p>\n\n\n\n Det var m\u00f6rkret som gav<\/p>\n\n\n\n Och k\u00e4rlekens ljus i mig<\/p>\n\n\n\n genom vars kropp dess str\u00e5lar g\u00e5r<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Gunnar Ekel\u00f6f, ur Sagan om Fatumeh<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n M\u00e5nen sv\u00e4var tyst i natten,<\/p>\n\n\n\n himlen skimrar stj\u00e4rnklar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n skimrar \u00f6ver berg och vatten,<\/p>\n\n\n\n skimrar \u00f6ver dig och mig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Karin Rehnqvist<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D\u00e4r m\u00f6rkret var \u00e4r du<\/p>\n\n\n\n och du b\u00e4r ljuset \u00f6ver dina skuldror,<\/p>\n\n\n\n d\u00e4r sorgen var \u00e4r du<\/p>\n\n\n\n och gl\u00e4djen lyser gul<\/p>\n\n\n\n som maskrosen vid dina h\u00e4lar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n d\u00e4r d\u00f6den var \u00e4r du<\/p>\n\n\n\n och det \u00e4r livet, <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/a>ja, det oerh\u00f6rda livet<\/p>\n\n\n\n som jag dricker ur dina h\u00e4nders kupa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Sandro Key-\u00c5berg<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I once was asked, \u201cWhat defines the North? What is Northernness?\u201d \u201cLight, Dark, and Love,\u201d came my spontaneous reply. \u201cThat\u2019s what the North is to <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-programme-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_3A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p79arM-BL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2839,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/songs-between-light-and-darkness-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":0},"title":"SONGS BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS","author":"admin2","date":"November 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"SONGS BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS\/ L\u00e1vlagat gaskal \u010duovgga ja seavdnjadasa\u00a0\u2013 for two reciters, soprano, alto saxophone, clarinet in Bb (also b.cl) and piano. 16'Texts: Gunnar Ekel\u00f6f, Karin Rehnqvist, Sandro Key-\u00c5bergTranslation in Sami: Mirja P\u00e4ivi\u00f6Reciters speak in Sami, soprano sing in Swedish Movements (English titles, for Swedish\/Sapmi, see the score) Neither\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Misc"","block_context":{"text":"Misc","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/misc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_2A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_2A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_2A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3622,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/do-not-fear-the-darkness\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":1},"title":"Do not fear the darkness","author":"admin2","date":"January 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many describe 2024 as a dark year. So much in our world seems to be going in the wrong direction. In the choral piece Do not fear the darkness\/ Var inte r\u00e4dd f\u00f6r m\u00f6rkret a different picture is heard and a different point of view is given. Karin Rehnqvist's choral\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Latest"","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Europe_night_NASA_2.png?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Europe_night_NASA_2.png?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Europe_night_NASA_2.png?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Europe_night_NASA_2.png?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Europe_night_NASA_2.png?fit=1200%2C723&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2348,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/sami-texts-in-songs-between-light-and-darkness\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":2},"title":"Sami texts in Songs between light and darkness","author":"admin2","date":"February 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On Friday 18 February 2022, there will be a premiere in Troms\u00f8 of Karin Rehnqvist's work Songs between light and darkness. It is composed for soprano, two reciters, alto saxophone, clarinet and piano. The piece is sung in Swedish and recited in Sami. Here, Karin has chosen texts by two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Latest"","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Tromsosamisk-text.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Tromsosamisk-text.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Tromsosamisk-text.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Tromsosamisk-text.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Tromsosamisk-text.jpg?fit=1200%2C625&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1070,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/arktis-arktis\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":3},"title":"ARKTIS ARKTIS!\u00a0","author":"admin2","date":"January 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Arktis = The Arctic) \u00a0 1. BREAKING THE ICE 2. BETWEEN SKY AND SEA 3. INTERLUDE IN DARK 4. YEARNING \u00a0 In the summer of 1999 I was given the opportunity to accompany the Swedish polar expedition \u201dTundra nordv\u00e4st\u201d (\u201dTundra Northwest\u201d) up to northern Canada. For the course of one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Programme notes"","block_context":{"text":"Programme notes","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/programme-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3289,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/taromirs-tid\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":4},"title":"TAROMIRS TID","author":"Johan N\u00e4slund","date":"April 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"TAROMIRS TID (Time of Taromir)Taromirs tid is a myth or a fairy tale, about life in a different time, at a different, slow, tempo. The way time might pass in a dream, or when we have a tiny baby. In this world the violins spin threads of sound, trilling over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Programme notes"","block_context":{"text":"Programme notes","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/programme-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/programme-note_cirkel_6A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/programme-note_cirkel_6A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/programme-note_cirkel_6A.png?fit=576%2C358&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2246,"url":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/night-chant\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":5},"title":"NIGHT CHANT","author":"Johan N\u00e4slund","date":"September 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"NIGHT CHANT (Musik i natten)for seven instruments* Duration: ca. 11 minutes At night our perception is sensitive. Sound is experienced louder, light brighter. You have to be wary.\u00a0 As I compose this we are living in difficult times. The coronavirus is spreading and more and more people are getting infected.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Programme notes"","block_context":{"text":"Programme notes","link":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/category\/programme-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_1A.png?fit=567%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_1A.png?fit=567%2C358&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/programme-note_cirkel_1A.png?fit=567%2C358&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2770,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions\/2770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karin-rehnqvist.se\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u2013 Karin Rehnqvist, February 2022<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"