One day out ....

Just over 24 hours to go until perf no 1 of the Festival (sell out Friday performance of The Tempest at the Pickquoy Centre at 7.30pm), & there's already lots going on in this year's St Magnus Festival!

The Orkney Conductors' Course, and the St Magnus Composers' Course have both been in full swing since Sunday. The composers have been working hard under the direction of Alasdair Nicolson and Sally Beamish: they have had several workshops with the London Sinfonietta in the Peedie Kirk. Across the road in the St Magnus Centre, the conductors under maestro Sir Martyn Brabbins have been honing their skills with the assistance of two pianos. They will be let loose on the Festival Chorus (or is the other way round?) at a special rehearsal of Mozart's Requiem tonight. Let's hope we can remember what Thierry Fischer wants us to do for Sunday's sell out concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at Picky! As Chorus Director said last week "Please just do as the ask, and then forget it!"

There are events in what has been unofficially dubbed St Magnus Festival afloat! (actually a slight extension of the regular Festival on Tour strand) part of the : Chas MacKenzie and Ruaridh Campbell are performing on board the MV Hjaltland leaving Aberdeen about now, and due to arrive at Hatston Pier around 11pm. Tomorrow on the 1100 sailing of MV Hamnavoe from Stromness, Pure Brass will entertain passengers (why are they leaving Orkney mere hours before the festival starts??), and will make the return trip at 1315 from Scrabster, no doubt with a ferry packed full of Festival visitors!

There are more and more familiar faces appearing, with each hour that passes, it seems! And there are new banners up outside the Cathedral, and the shop windows have been decked out with Festival and Magfest posters and banners. And there are exhibitions all over Orkney ... and ... and ... and ...

Have fun!

Festival Manager, Tanya McGill, and Box Office Manager, Lydia Campbell are pictured with Keira in the box office, making some final preparations! You might also see the programmes (now available for £8 at the Festival Office in Victoria Street) in the picture! There seems to be even more information than normal packed into its 66 pages, and this year the pages are bigger!



Please comment below on anything interesting, amusing or puzzling you may see as the Festival gets underway!