Allemansrätten (Freedom to Roam) – Steve Heitzeg

Composer: Steve Heitzeg Instrumentation: String Quartet (2 Violin, Viola, and Cello) Duration: Approx. 3 minutes Date Written: 2021 Premiered: Young-Nam Kim, violin Leslie Shank, violin Sally Chisholm, viola Anthony Ross, cello Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University Saint Paul, MN October 17, 2021 Additional Information:  Allemansrätten is a Swedish word referring to “everyone’s rights”—a cherished concept and legal position in Sweden and other Nordic countries. Allemansrätten declares that every person has the right to access and roam through the countryside and wilderness. (These access rights are mainly intended for travel on foot.) With this right comes the responsibility to respect nature; there is the maxim “do not disturb, do not destroy” and people are obligated to not litter or harm or disturb wildlife. This short fanfare is inspired by the notion of “freedom in nature” and intended to evoke a kind of brightness, hopefulness and egalitarianism in its sound. It is dedicated to t