The fifth of February this year, there was a school shooting here in Örebro, Sweden. Eleven died, among them the attacker who committed suicide. School shootings never happen here in Sweden, so it became a National trauma.  I sat at home when the first news started to come in, and I was so unsettled and distracted by it. I thought that I would write something about it. I sent a friend I have in Örebro, who I knew had a connection to that school, a message and asked if he was okay. It took him a long time before he answered, but he was OK. 

Writing Im Memoriam For Viola Solo And Strings

A few hours into the coverage of the school shooting, I found myself needing a distraction. I was in a state of shock and profound sadness, grappling with the reality that such a tragedy could occur in Sweden. To cope, I began to compose a piece of music. I imagined it as a blend of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" and the theme from "Schindler's List."

I chose to feature a viola for the solo, accompanied by a string orchestra comprising three violin sections, a viola section, a cello section, and a double bass section. The piece is set in F minor, enhancing its sense of melancholy. The strings play with mutes, which creates a thicker, richer timbre, contrasting with the solo viola that performs unmuted. The composition lasts 4 minutes and 25 seconds, and I feel it successfully captures the essence I was aiming for.

Here’s a link to it if you’re interested in listening to it: Im Memoriam.