Welcome to the St Magnus Festival website.
The
St Magnus Festival is Orkney's annual celebration of the arts.
Founded in 1977 by Orkney's distinguished resident composer Sir
Peter Maxwell Davies, the Festival has grown from small beginnings
into one of Britain's most highly regarded and adventurous arts
events.
The unique combination of world-class performance,
community participation of the highest quality and the magic of
Orkney at midsummer attracts audiences from throughout Britain
and further afield; many return year after year.
Though musical events are at the heart of the
artistic programme, the Festival also encompasses drama, dance,
literature and the visual arts.
WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE
Over the years, numerous distinguished artists
have appeared at the Festival - including Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Andr Previn, Julian Bream, Imogen Cooper, Georgy Pauk, Evelyn
Glennie, John Harle, Joanna MacGregor, Steven Isserlis, John Lill
and Angela Hewitt.
Visiting orchestras and ensembles have included
the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish
Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta,
the Nash Ensemble, the Scottish Ensemble and Psappha.
NEW WORK
The
Festival has recognised the talent of and commissioned works from
young composers who have gone on to become established figures
- James MacMillan, Judith Weir and Simon Holt are examples.
Other commissioned composers have included Sir
Richard Rodney Bennett, Thea Musgrave, Sally Beamish, Alasdair
Nicolson, Edward McGuire, William Sweeney and Gordon McPherson
and David Horne. Many important premieres have been given of new
works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
New, specially-commissioned work has also been
created for visual arts, drama and dance projects.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Through education and community projects the
Festival has built up active participation by adults and children
from all parts of Orkney. Over the years, numerous children's
operas, music-theatre pieces and song cycles by Sir Peter Maxwell
Davies have been premiered by Orkney children. Education projects
are often devised in collaboration with visiting orchestras, ensembles
and artists
The
Festival Chorus attracts around 100 singers
from all parts of Orkney. Works performed in recent years include:
Kodaly's Psalmus Hungaricus (with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra),
HMS Pinafore (concert performance with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra),
Dvorak's Te Deum and Haydn's Te Deum (both with the BBC Philharmonic). In 2006 the Festival Chorus performed Mozart's Requiem with the BBC Philharmonic, under the baton of Martyn Brabbins.
Large-scale community drama productions feature
frequently: in 2002 Alan Plater's play, Barriers, with music by
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, was premiered at the Festival and subsequently
performed with great success at the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2003
an Orkney production of As You Like It toured to Gotland, Sweden,
after its Festival performances in Orkney.
