MIDSUMMER ISLAND
Helen encounters a wonder ful legacy of music at a thriving festival in the far nor th
Be it fully robed Druids per forming rituals at Stonehenge or local community festivals involving weird spor ts like barrel rolling, the Summer Solstice has been a rich source of material for making radio programmes.
This astronomical event, which gives us the longest daylight hours of the year, has been celebrated since ancient times.
My most memorable
Summer Solstice was spent recording on the light bathed islands of Orkney.
As it was a slightly more costly expedition than usual we were to make two Open Countr y programmes for BBC Radio 4, one about music, the other about the wildlife.
My producer, also Helen, and I knew we were in for ver y long working days island-hopping across this nor thern archipelago. But maybe because of the glorious light, the hospitality of the islanders and the musical sounds we encountered, it felt far from being just work!
We arrived at Kirkwall’s St Magnus Cathedral, a place of worship since the early 1100s when Viking Norsemen ruled the islands.
Its red sandstone glowed in the late evening light.
We heard music from within and knew that the 40th midsummer St Magnus International Festival 2016 was under way.
Sadly, like events all across the countr y, this year’s festival was cancelled due to Covid-19.
A huge blow, but islanders are resilient folk and plans are afoot for 2021.
Thankfully there was music aplenty on our visit.
Inside the cathedral, the orchestra per formed as a sudden downpour pelted the stained-glass windows, temporarily dimming this long day of light. As people milled about after wards, I met composer and festival director Alasdair Nicolson.
He told me, “This ancient building might be the hub, but the festival is a broad mix of music and the ar ts that spreads across the islands involving local per formers of all ages to some of the finest orchestras in the world.
“It might seem like the daftest place to run such a huge event but there’s great enthusiasm from per formers, visitors and locals.
“People on the islands have always played and shared their music, but in 1977, ‘Max’ – along with a few islanders – founded the Festival.
“And gradually, despite its remote location, it’s become one of Britain’s most highly
“Max did so much to encourage
music in our young people”
regarded ar ts events. I think the midsummer adds that final touch of magic!”
“Max” – as ever yone called him – was the world renowned composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies; among his works was the music for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
As a young man he came to Orkney to live and to write and finally settled on Sanday, one of the most nor therly of the 70 Orkney Islands where I was told the local community took him ver y much to their hear ts, as he did them.
Sadly, aged 82, he had died a few months previously. The Sanday Community School, along with Academy students from the
Conser vatoire in Glasgow, were to present the world première of his final piece of writing, so that’s where we headed next.
Arriving on this flat, low-lying island I was amazed