2019 Programme
Midsummer in Orkney is always a magical time with long hours of daylight illuminating the landscapes, seascapes and historic sites. We guarantee to add to that magic with a huge array of unmissable events across the islands for the 43rd St Magnus International Festival.
TICKET BOOKING
Benefactors Opens Friday 22nd March (Online,postal,phone)
Patrons Opens Friday 29th March (Online,postal,phone)
General Booking Online and In person Monday 8th April
Telephone Tuesday 9th April
Click here to go straight to the Events Calendar
From large symphony orchestra to one-man show, string quartet to skaldic poetry, this year’s Festival brings performers from all over the world, many “in residence”. We’re delighted to welcome back the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, which performs three concerts, and the award-winning Maxwell Quartet who take us on a journey through string quartet repertoire.
The Nordic Choral Expedition gathers four professional choirs from across the Scandinavian nations performing rich and diverse repertoire. Our chamber music programme brings a broad spectrum of music new and old including two rising stars of the piano world, Dinara Klinton from Ukraine and Anna Szałucka from Poland.
For those who want to experience some of the outer islands and more of the mainland, we take our performances out and about ‘on tour’ and in ‘excursions’. Our Peace Garden trail will bring to life some of the outdoor, garden spaces of Orkney with art installations, music and theatre. There’s also a chance to experience music on the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl and Viking poetry at Orkney Distilling.
MagFest offers up an alternative, fringe strand with award-winning comedy Garry Starr performs Everything, Cusan Theatre’s family show The Boy Who Found His Smile, and the premiere of Eric Linklater’s show Writer’s Block newly commissioned for this Festival.
Our spoken word programme is an eclectic mix and brings the eminent poet Robin Robertson giving three readings of his work, the charismatic Terry Waite talking about Peace and Reconciliation, Ian Crockatt reciting Viking Poetry and author Vee Walker examining a family story from the First World War.
In the year that commemorates the final stages of WWI and the Scuttling of the German Fleet in Scapa Flow, we have a specially written theatre piece examining the events of 21st June 1919.
All this and more will combine to create the artistic whirlwind throughout Orkney in June.
