SPECIAL FESTIVAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27277, 31 December 1949, Page 6

SPECIAL FESTIVAL

ANCIENT CITY OF YORK CELEBRATIONS IN 1951 NZPA Special Correspondent LONDON, Dec. 29. The ancient city of York is preparing a special festival in 1951 as part of the National Festival of Britain If the plans at present before the City Council are approved, the city will spend £30,000 on the celebrations. These will include a series of special concerts by famous orchestras, such as the Halle and London Philharmonic, and the personal appearance of several world-famous artists. Mr Michael Tippett, the well-known English composer, has been commissioned to write a special composition for voices and orchestra, to be performed in York Minster. The feature of the musical section of the festival, however, will be the performance of the Dream of Gerontius. with Sir John Barbirolli conducting the Halle Orchestra and Kathleen Ferrier singing the part of the angel. J. B. Priestley has been invited, as the greatest living Yorkshire dramatist, to give the York Festival the first performance of the new play he is writ--111 Another interesting feature will be the revival for the first time in 400 years of the old York cycle of mystery plays These plays, which are based on Bible stories, including the Crucifixion, were regularly performed m York during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. When they , are revived in 1951 they will be produced in the settings and costumes of toe original productions. Mr E. Martin Browne, director of the British Drama League, will produce the plays, and will draw for his casts upon 300 leading Yorkshire repertory players. After each performance, the actors will follow the old custom of walking in a torchlight procession round the city walls,