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- Sally Beamish
Saintʼs Day (2016)
- Peters Edition Limited (World)
Written in memory of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Commissioned by Lorimer Productions with support from Creative Scotland, and first performed by Cappella Nova, directed by Alan Taverner, on 31st August 2016 in Dunfermline Abbey, as part of their 'Echoes and Traces' project.
- SATB
- SATB
- 7 min
- George Mackay Brown
- English
Programme Note
This work was commissioned as part of a collection of new works inspired in some way by the ancient ‘Nobilis Humilis’ – the ‘Hymn to St Magnus’. The Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown wrote: “The essence of Orkney's magic is silence, loneliness and the deep marvellous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light.” I chose this poem about St Magnusʼ Saintʼs day because it seems to embody those rhythms. In my setting, there are passing references to the parallel thirds from the ‘Nobilis Humilis’ hymn, which become stronger as the piece draws to a close.
Saintʼs Day is dedicated to my friend and mentor, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who died in March 2016. It was commissioned by Lorimer Productions with support from Creative Scotland, and first performed by Cappella Nova, directed by Alan Taverner, on 31st August 2016 in Dunfermline Abbey, as part of their 'Echoes and Traces' project.
Sally Beamish