LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF SUMMER

We have entered the loveliest season of the year that we all have been waiting for: summer - a time for holidays and travel, a path to our dreams, and the connection to our best experiences and memories.

Trondheim is a city with a very diverse cultural heritage and rich history. A city of differences that provides a variety of options in different parts of the year to celebrate and enjoy.

As always in summer, Trondheim is full of entertaining programmes including several music festivals which make the city unique for visitors and tourists to enjoy and explore.

Last month, I attended Musikfest Trondheim, an arrangement of 70 different concerts all over the city, working together to create a perfect musical mosaic of Trondheim.

It was a melodic day with a concert in every corner of the city; in the restaurants, bars, parks and many other public places- a fun and unique festival that brought people together with smiles, dance, joy, and friendship. I felt elated and fully realized that summer has arrived in Trondheim.

The festival itself was a true platform and opportunity for everyone to feel included and to understand that, despite our differences, music is a common interest that can bring us closer and add light to our lives.

A calm and relaxing song “Å kunne æ skrive,” from well-known Norwegian singer, Lars Bremnes, was performed by a talented young schoolgirl in one of those concerts at the Torvet, Trondheim City Square. It was very touching to see how keenly most of the people singing along…

“ Og dettan fjellet va et flygel

så spelte æ Chopin.

Men æ mått ha øvd på forhånd

ville du forstå?

…and if this mountain was a grand piano

then I would play Chopin.

But I must have rehearsed first

would you understand?”

While everyone was singing along I began to imagine that Trondheim's mountains were a piano on which we were all playing Chopin and in the background, the entire city was singing with us. This was a perfect illustration of the apt quote by Nietzsche that “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Perhaps the best thing about live music is that you can feel the music in your heart and soul, being entertained while getting a feeling of peace of mind. Then, an inner willingness appears to express those feelings with a cheerful and rhythmic movement- dancing. You don’t need anything else but music and summertime.

Music is the key to happiness, the way to a good mood and it has the power to connect with our feelings and dreams. Even when we are alone and want to set up a moment delight, it's the music that helps to lighten our mood to satisfy our souls.

I encourage you to ask anyone what their three main interests are; the answer will always include music because there is always a story behind the melody. A song which everyone can relate their own experience to. As Lou Rawls beautifully put it: “Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don't understand the language that you're singing in, they still know good music when they hear it.”

Sukhanwar

Originally published: The List, issue 17, July 2017

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