Stride (2023)

During the past few years, humanity has been punched from many directions, by virus, weather and war. In times like these it’s easy to sink into lethargy and passivity. I’ve felt it myself and I know I’m not the only one.

But I’ve found a personal cure for getting out of the mental and physical quagmire. To stride – “to walk somewhere with long, decisive steps”, as one dictionary defines it – has been a great therapy for me. Just sheer positive energy, the feeling of moving joyfully forwards on foot or skis through a snowy forest, or simply walking up the street to meet a good friend.

I know it won't change the world, but it makes me see the other side of the coin and the many people moving the world in the right direction, even if their tremendous contributions rarely reach the headlines: aid workers, doctors, campaigners for democracy and rights, and – in another way – musicians! Think of the amazing energy that comes out of all these super-skilled musicians collaborating, listening and adjusting to each other. They might have their disputes offstage, but when they take the big stride into the music they all melt into one astonishing organism. What a wonderful model for a more collaborative humanity!

Programme note © 2023 Rolf Wallin