Reconciliation, Redemption, and Reunion
For the United Nations Day on October 24, 1960, Dag Hammarskjöld brought the Philadelphia Orchestra to HQ for a performance:
The streets of Manhattan were shrouded in mist and drizzle as the Philadelphia Orchestra’s bus made its way toward the United Nations building. Small raindrops pattered softly against the windows, blurring the skyline as the musicians shifted in their seats. They weren’t alone in their endeavor: The Temple University Choir, traveling separately, would join them to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in its entirety. Together, they would lift their voices and instruments in honor of United Nations Day—at the request of Dag Hammarskjöld.
Inside the General Assembly Hall, Bill and Andy sat together, surrounded by other UN employees. The air inside was warm and inviting, marking a stark contrast to the cool fog outside.
Andy leaned over, his eyes scanning the grand stage.
“With everything else Dag has to do, how did he coordinate this? You know he did it all himself.”
Bill smiled.
“That’s Dag,” he whispered back. “He’s like a human perpetual motion machine. Hardly sleeps and works incessantly.”
“And somehow, it always comes together,” Andy agreed.
As the musicians settled into their places on stage, Dag stood at the front and began:
“Our organization often battles through harsh struggles and dark times. We hold fast to the belief that, one day, harmony will prevail. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is like a statement of conviction; so too is our steadfast notion that peace is possible. Like the Ninth Symphony, our voyage is not easy. We are still early in the UN’s history, and we are up against sharp conflicts and mistrust. But just as Beethoven leads us from turmoil to reunion, from fear to bliss, we must all keep our faith. This day reminds us that we must never lose hope. We may be far from the end of our struggles, but we must never waver in our efforts to build a foundation of simple, human values—a foundation that will unite us in peace.”
Eugene Ormandy, the renowned conductor, gave a small nod of acknowledgment to Dag as he stood before the orchestra. Dag took his seat and the beautiful performance began. His eyes were dewy at times, but he was careful not to show it.
Later that evening, Dag sat in his apartment library, the warmth of a crackling fire behind him and Greenback perched on his lap. The room was quiet except for the occasional scratch of his pen on paper. He paused as his mind turned over the words of Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
The idea of nations turning away from war to embrace peace lingered in his thoughts, intertwined with the echoes of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. He also found himself drawn to the image of Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past—coming not with judgment, but with the promise of reclamation. Reunion . . . reconciliation, he thought, as his pen moved again.
That same yearning, he felt, had filled Beethoven’s final movement, a deep desire for connection after conflict.
–Decoding the Unicorn, © Sara Causey
Human Solidarity
In Dag’s own words:
When the Ninth Symphony opens we enter a drama full of harsh conflict and dark threats. But the composer leads us on, and in the beginning of the last movement we hear again the various themes repeated, now as a bridge toward a final synthesis. A moment of silence and a new theme is introduced, the theme of reconciliation and joy in reconciliation. A human voice is raised in rejection of all that has preceded and we enter the dreamt kingdom of peace. New voices join the first and mix in a jubilant assertion of life and all that it gives us when we meet it, joined in faith and human solidarity.
… But no matter how deep the shadows may be, how sharp the conflicts, how tense the mistrust reflected in what is said and done in our world of today as reflected in this hall and in this house, we are not permitted to forget that we have too much in common, too great a sharing of interests and too much that we might lose together, for ourselves and for succeeding generations, ever to weaken in our efforts to surmount the difficulties and not to turn the simple human values, which are our common heritage, into the firm foundation on which we may unite our strength and live together in peace.
–https://www.un.org/depts/dhl/dag/undayconcert.htm
Don’t Give Up
Even under dire circumstances, Dag never gave up. When his own optimism wavered and he was worn thin from crises, he maintained the steadfast belief that peace must prevail over bloodshed. At Dag’s memorial ceremony in the General Assembly Hall, the orchestra returned to play the Ninth Symphony in its entirety. Dag’s speech was read to a silent audience.
During the holiday season, let us remember the hope of reconciliation, redemption, and reunion as Dag did.
Explore more:
- 5 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Dag Hammarskjöld
- Quiet Doesn’t Mean Weak: How Dag Hammarskjöld Refused to Be Bullied
- The Tender Side of Dag Hammarskjöld
- We ARE in this Together
New to Dag’s life and legacy? Start here.
You can purchase Sara’s award-winning biography Decoding the Unicorn: A New Look at Dag Hammarskjöld on Amazon by clicking here! Her forthcoming project, Simply Dag, will release globally on July 29, 2026.
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