In conversation with Gemma McGregor
Gemma McGregor's Carry His Relics, as well as other tracks from Sagas and Seascapes, features on Nordic Viola’s album Elsewhere Elsewhen, which can be purchased here.
Scottish ensemble Nordic Viola, and Faroese ensemble Aldubáran, will perform a concert and screen the film, Sagas and Seascapes, at the Orkney Science Festival in September. The performance at Saint Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall on September 10th, will include a work of mine called Carry His Relics. This piece is inspired by the story of Orkney’s patron saint Magnus, as told in the thirteenth century Orkneyinga Saga. Earl Magnus Erlendsson was born in 1080 and ruled Orkney jointly with his cousin Haakon. Magnus suffered from the rivalry of his cousin and was put to death at the order of Haakon in c.1117. Magnus had been buried where he was slain on the island of Egilsay. Miracles occurred at the site of Magnus’ grave and the local people moved his relics to Christchurch in Birsay. Magnus was canonised in 1135 by Bishop William who authorised the pilgrims to carry his remains to Saint Olaf’s Kirk in Kirkwall. The construction of the St Magnus cathedral began in 1137, and eventually the relics of St Magnus were interred there.
[Eviedale Bay, Photo:Orkney.com]
In 1300 building work began on another St Magnus Cathedral in the Faroe Islands. Bishop Erlend instructed the Faroese to build the cathedral and some of the relics of Saint Magnus were placed there when it was consecrated. Faroese composer, Eli Tausen á Lava’s piece múrurin (The Wall) is about this ruined, roofless cathedral. múrurin will also be performed at the concert.
[Múrurin Photo: Eli Tausen á Lava]
Magnus was a force for good both during and after his short life. In medieval times a tradition grew for pilgrims to visit all the holy sites connected with Magnus. In 2015, a group of people in Orkney formed to support the reopening of this pilgrim route. After land clearing, drainage and reinstating of footpaths, the Saint Magnus Way was reopened in April 2017, marking the 900th anniversary of the martyrdom of St Magnus.
As someone who lives in Orkney, I am aware that the story of Magnus Erlendsson is still part of our lives. I went to Evie to be one of the first people to walk the St Magnus Way on the day of the reopening. Walking by the shore at Aikerness, there was little evidence of the twenty first century. It struck me that what we were seeing and hearing were the same as the medieval pilgrims had experienced - I wondered about the sound environment, and if they would have heard similar sounds of wind, sea, and birdcalls. A flock of seagulls followed the procession and it occurred to me that gulls, or white maas as they are known in Orkney, would have followed the twelfth century procession too. The experience of being at the reopening gave me the idea for composing a piece that explored the story of Magnus and the experiences of the pilgrims. Nordic Viola commissioned a piece for flute and viola in 2019. Much of my work is in a collage style and takes in influences of other times, musical traditions and natural sounds. My composition Carry His Relics describes the procession of pilgrims carrying the coffin of St Magnus from the Earl’s Bu, Orphir, to St Olaf's Kirk, Kirkwall. This was the first of a planned six compositions that will represent the six sections of the 93-kilometre-long St Magnus Way. I included references to the kind of music the pilgrims would have listened to. The opening strummed chords by the viola evoke the sound of a Scandinavian lyre.
The second piece of the set, On the Trysted Shore, was commissioned by Orkney Arts Society and performed by Nordic Viola in 2021. It describes the events that happened on the island of Egilsay, where the St Magnus Way starts. On the Trysted Shore describes the Viking earl, Magnus Erlendsson, arriving on the island of Egilsay to meet his cousin, Haakon Paulsson, to sign a peace treaty in 1117. The music depicts Magnus standing on the Egilsay shore with mixed emotions of hope and a sense of foreboding. His cousin has tricked him, and he will be martyred on that island. Each earl was told to bring just two ships. My piece describes Magnus arriving on the shore at Egilsay, gazing out to sea, seeing Haakon's eight ships, and realising that he has been betrayed.
There will be a day excursion by ferry from Kirkwall to the island of North Ronaldsay on Sunday 8th September for a performance by Nordic Viola. The programme will include On the Trysted Shore in their performance at the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory.
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