St Magnus International Festival launches their programme

Midsummer might seem a long way off, but the team at the St Magnus International Festival are already gearing up for it as they launch their 44th festival programme today (Friday, March 6).

Taking place from June 19-25, this year’s festival will provide a wide range of music, theatre, literature, dance and art, over the course of nearly 40 events, bringing performers from all over the UK and Europe to Orkney’s shores.

2020 is Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters and the festival will reflect this theme across many of its events.

“It’s always an exciting moment to reveal the programme to our audiences,” said festival director Alasdair Nicolson, who adds that some of the finest performers in the world will be arriving in the county for the festival.

“This year’s Scotland-wide theme has been rather easy for us to work with, as we have plenty of sea, coasts, cliffs and beaches at hand.”

St Magnus Cathedral will become the venue for an installation concert called the Ocean Promenade which will see art, poetry, dance and music about the sea, drawing audiences through the space for two exclusive performances.

Chamber music features widely across the programme, ranging from Piazzolla tangos and Swedish nyckelharpa, to early Scottish music on the recorder and Bach on the mandolin.

Meanwhile, with Magfest comes the arrival of two theatre shows — one of which is perfect for children, telling the tale of a boy who sends his heart off to sea. But there’s also something for adults, with the Freaky Sequin Cabaret and the madness of the Old Time Sailors raucous flashmob concerts.

Keeping to the sea theme, there will be two talks telling tales of the high seas — one on a canoeing trip around the UK and the other a near-death experience on the Round the World yacht race.

“This year we’re trying to take events out across the islands and to introduce audiences to experiences in new venues,” said Alasdair.

“So we’ll see a horn quartet in the kitchen of Noltland Castle on Westray and talks about life on the high seas in Highland Park Distillery.”

The festival ends with a silent film, accompanied by a live performance of newly created music.

Orkney’s midsummer St Magnus International Festival marks the start of the summer’s festivals in Scotland and each year brings large numbers to the islands, boosting the economy and revealing Orkney to the wider world.