Season finale | VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Is Szczecin by the sea? This question has been the subject of many anecdotes and jokes for years. However, when looking at history, landscape and society, one can undoubtedly spot the maritime character of our city. Since the Middle Ages, Szczecin has been a critical transhipment port, where the most important trade routes for the entire region intersect.

The Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic, where the paths of world-famous artists intersect with the most notable works created over many centuries, draws from that heritage. In addition, openness, uncompromisingness and courage are features that unite not only people of the sea but also people of the music world. It will be no different on June 10, 2022, when Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony will sound for the first time in our city.

The work presents the soul's journey through life as a sea journey into unexplored regions. The path described by the poet Walt Whitman must have appealed to Williams, a declared agnostic who once exclaimed: "Who believes in God today? I would like to know?"

Drawing inspiration from Parry's cantatas and Sullivan's operettas, as well as English folk songs, Vaughan Williams created an enormous work that incorporates one of the best choral parts of his era. The sound of waves, shanties, emotional songs, stories about the sea, travels, all maritime motifs, spectacular parts reminiscent of natural phenomena, including a human who has always asked himself the same questions for centuries.

Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote in Quo Vadis: "So here I tell you, music is like the sea. We are standing on one shore, and we can look into the distance, but it is impossible to see the other shore.

We want to end another season, which is not easy for many reasons, with the A Sea Symphony. It brought us all many emotions, returns and unexpected twists. Yet, we believe that the sun always comes after a storm, just like in a sea adventure. So, bearing in mind the events of recent months, we think that we will set sail for calm waters.