St Magnus Festival marks 50 years of music and community in Orkney, founded by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
The St Magnus Festival, founded in 1977 in Orkney by composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and poet George Mackay Brown, celebrates its 50th edition this midsummer. The article explores how the festival began with the premiere of Max's opera "The Martyrdom of St Magnus" in Kirkwall's St Magnus Cathedral, and how it has remained a living legacy connecting culture and community across the Orkney archipelago for half a century.
Key quotes
The first festival began with the premiere of Max's opera, The Martyrdom of St Magnus, staged in the cathedral in Kirkwall named for the saint.
Founded in Orkney in 1977 by the composer Peter Maxwell Davies, who had recently moved there, and the poet George Mackay Brown, who rarely left the archipelago, that half-century of festivals is a living legacy of connection across culture and community.
A magnificent blood-red sandstone building, first established in Kirkwall by Magnus's nephew Earl Rognvald in 1137, around which the rest of the city
From the article
You might also wanna read
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1040x299:1042x301)/King-Charles-III-and-Britains-Queen-Camilla-arrive-to-attend-A-Kings-Trust-celebration-at-the-Royal-Albert-Hall-051126-)
King Charles and Queen Camilla Celebrate 50th Anniversary of The King's Trust at Royal Albert Hall
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a celebration at the Royal Albert Hall in London marking the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust (f
People.com·1mo ago
"We would like to contribute to improving the entire environment of the Palau de la Música"
"We would like to contribute to improving the entire environment of the Palau de la Música"
Southbank Centre artistic director draws parallels between 1951 founding and today's crises at 75th anniversary event
The Southbank Centre celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Royal Festival Hall's opening with a special event at Westminster, coinciding wi
artsprofessional.co.uk·15d ago
The overlooked rise of outdoor arts in the UK's cultural sector
The article discusses the UK's outdoor arts sector, which has grown significantly over the past 20 years but remains an often overlooked par
artsprofessional.co.uk·17d ago
The Festival of Britain’s boldest dream has been forgotten
How Three Yorkshire Designers Built a Decade-Long Creative Community
Wilson's Republic is a grassroots creative community founded in Huddersfield by three Yorkshire designers that has evolved from a small grou
Creative Boom·9mo ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.