EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30214, 20 August 1963, Page 7

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

17th Season Opens EDINBURGH. August 19. The seventeenth annual Edinburgh International Festival opened yesterday with a service in St. Giles’ Cathedral. Iliousands of visitors from all over the world are in Edinburgh for the festival, which will continue for three u’eeks. The highlight is expected to be the drama programme, the strongest and most exciting for years. Opening the drama programme will be the world premiere of a new play by the Australian. Ray Lawler, author of "The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll." Tonight the musical side of the festival opened with Hector Berlioz's ‘‘The Damnation of Faust.” All tickets have been sold since the bookings opened last April. Tie famous cantata was performed by the Covent Garden Chorus and Orchestra, with an international quartet of distinguished soloists, including Nicolai Gedda, from Sweden, and two Canadians, George London and Robert Savoie. A record 197 performances are to be given at the festival. Taking part will, be seven symphony orchestras, seven chamber orchestras, six dramatic companies, two opera companies, three ballet companies and nearly 40 soloists. Almost 70 per cent, of the 298,000 tickets, valued at £218,000. have been sold.