A summer of reflection through music – World War I remembered at Festivals

By Chris Billingham 

While it doesn’t seem that long ago that the wonderful Julia Hudson discussed the team’s favourite seasonal pieces, the world of music is now gearing up for the summer, with amongst others, the Edinburgh International Festival who announced its 2014 line up earlier this week. Taking place August 8^th – 13^th, the Festival is renowned globally for bringing “the very best in classical music, theatre, opera, dance and visual art from across the globe to Edinburgh for three exhilarating weeks”. This year’s festival will see more than 2400 artists from 43 countries will take part, as well as the departure of Jonathan Mills, who steps down as director of the Festival after his eighth year. 

The line up boosts a number of exciting and unique performances; Jonathan says the Festival “bring[s] together cultures from around the world to present an intense three weeks of intimate and epic theatre, dance, music and opera. [They] are working to bring performances from around the world, from New Zealand to South Africa, ensuring the Festival retains its unique mix, which makes it an unmissable date in the global cultural calendar.” 

The opening concert features the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing pre-war works from Schoenberg, Scriabin and Debussy, Sir Andrew Davis will direct the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Britten’s War Requiem and The Kronos Quartet will perform a special recital to complement its film project ‘Beyond Zero: 1914 – 1918”, which also plays at the festival. The film brings together the quartet, acclaimed Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and filmmaker Bill Morrison to “journey through the turmoil of the First World War”. The Festival logo also features bluebells tangled in barbed wire.

Is it right that so many performances will focus on this historical event? Many criticised Mills last year when he ruled out material dealing with the current independence debate. He stated at the time: "we would not wish our festival to be anything other than it has always been, which is a politically neutral space for artists. It is important that it remains that". Those who refuse to wear a poppy each November might argue that remembering smacks of celebration, not commemoration. Himself a pacifist, Britten said of his War Requiem that he merely wanted “to make people think a bit” yet requested no applause at its premiere. 

I feel that there is indeed a place for remembrance through music, and closer to home, The Southern Cathedrals Festival will also commemorate the First World War. Festival Director Andrew Lumsden has stated that he wants to reflect “not only on the darkness of war but that, through the darkness, can come light”. Southern Sinfonia will be performing at the festival on Saturday 19^th July, playing a range of pieces including Elgar Elegy for strings and Barber Adagio for strings. 

The Festival will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect and remember. Other performances include a late night concert that sees Festival Director Andrew Lumsden, Malcolm Archer and friends presenting a programme of music and readings evoking life in 1914. Additionally, the boy choristers of Winchester Cathedral and local school choirs performing songs and music from the National Theatre’s production based on Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse in a joint concert and workshop. 

You can find more information about the Southern Cathedrals Festival and purchase tickets here. To contact Southern Sinfonia and find out more about our work, please visit our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profile.