Svend died in autumn 2022.
He was my mother’s boyfriend/lover.
A Friendly, quiet man, with a hearing aid.

Didn’t say much – more Nordjyde (from the north) than Ordjyde (“a Whiner”).

 

He had been a primary school teacher, the good kind, who asked and listened.

He got others to tell and come out with what was on their mind.

 

One New Year’s Eve, after good food and wine, Svend, my mother and I sat talking.
My mouth was watering. “I can feel that the music wants something

and can do something when it comes past imagination” I said.

“It shouldn´t represent anything or be tied to a cart.

I really want to just write music – for someone, for someone, for something.”

 

I had been to a concert with the Sinfonietta my mother played the clarinet in.

They played some new music – They played a lot of new music – including a piece by a rhythmic musician.

 

It was like it was still rhythmic music and it wasn’t their forte
Then they played a work by Rune Glerup with choir

and he was there himself and stood up and bowed.
It was beautiful music.

 

Then Svend said, mostly addressed to my mother:
Couldn’t Søren write something for your orchestra?

 

Yes, my mother said
I think you can figure that out, she said to me.

 

I want to, I’ll start right away, I heard myself say.

 

Svend fell ill and became almost unresponsive.

Maybe he couldn´t hear anything anymore.
One day they called my mother and said that he was really bad,

if she could come around.

 

She had my string quartet on the phone,

so she put it on and then she sat there and Svend was in bed

In the middle of the 3rd movement he left this world.

 

The string quartet is dedicated to Svend and my mother.