Karin Rehnqvist: When I Close My Eyes, I Dream of Peace

Composer Karin Rehnqvist calls When I close my eyes, I dream of peace her project for peace.

The work's text consists of a single sentence, something an eleven-year old Croatian boy said during the war in the Balkans: "When I close my eyes, I dream of peace." The first section of the work is inspired by Swedish folk music, while in the second section this single sentence is sung in twelve different languages. On each occasion the melody is inspired by the musical traditions associated with the language in question. Rehnqvist's intention is that this work should express that fundamental desire in the hearts of most people – a dream of peace.