St Magnus Cathedral is currently displaying the Sails of St Magnus, as part of the Orkney Island Games 2025 Sound Installation, which will run from 7 – 20 July.
‘Sails in St Magnus’ is a collaborative work made in 1993 for the St Magnus Festival by four painters and a poet. The installation comprises fourteen free-hanging sails, painted with images inspired by a series of one line poems, specially written for the project by George Mackay Brown, on the theme of Earl Rognvald’s epic voyage to Jerusalem in 1151. Art UK
The Sounds of Orkney Project is working alongside that of the scrivener project, being led by local writer Gabrielle Barnby. Brian Cromarty, was selected by the Council’s Arts Service to compose a 2025 Island Games soundscape. The soundscape will include snippets of dialogue gathered from the 24 competing island groups.
“I never know till I start processing the sounds how they will turn out, but it’s an exciting way to make music and I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve collected into the studio.”
Funded and led by the Council’s Arts Development Service, the final composition will play in the Cathedral, against the visual extravaganza of the St Magnus Sails. They were last exhibited in 2017.
The St Magnus Sails are painted with images inspired by a series of one-line poems, specially written for the project by George Mackay Brown on the theme of Earl Rognvald’s epic voyage to Jerusalem in 1151 – by artists Andrew Parkinson, Erlend Brown, Dave Jackson and Mary Scott.
Fiona Grahame
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