For the music and performing arts festival founded in 1970, see Glastonbury Festival.
The first Glastonbury Festivals, most notable for being the forerunners of Glastonbury Festival, were a series of cultural events founded by communist activist and composer Rutland Boughton, which were held in summer from 1914 to 1925 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England.[1]
The festivals were founded by English socialist composer Rutland Boughton and his librettist Reginald Buckley.[3] Apart from the founding of a national theatre, Boughton and Buckley envisaged a summer school and music festival based on utopian principles.[4] This was inspired at least in part by the concept of the "temple theatre" first proposed by Richard Wagner and its corresponding festival, Bayreuth: a place for the common people to congregate around art.[5] With strong Arthurian connections and historic and prehistoric associations, Glastonbury was chosen to host the festivals. At the turn of the century one of the earliest New Age communities had already established itself in the area.[6] The agricultural setting was also considered an asset as Boughton and Buckley felt that 'real art can only grow out of real life."[5]
Among the supporters were Sir Edward Elgar and George Bernard Shaw, while financial support was received from the Clark family, shoemakers in nearby Street. The first festival included the premiere performance of Boughton's opera The Immortal Hour. By the time the festivals ended in 1926, 350 staged works had been performed, as well as a programme of chamber music, lectures and recitals.[1]
Demiseedit
The festivals ended ignominiously when Boughton's backers withdrew funds following a scandalous production of his Nativity opera Bethlehem in London.[1] In sympathy with the miners and the ongoing General Strike, the production had Jesus born in a miner's cottage with King Herod as a top-hatted capitalist and his soldiers in police uniforms.[2] The demise of the festival was also hastened once it became public knowledge that Boughton had joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), losing him the support of many wealthy supporters.[2]
Referencesedit
^ abcHurd, Michael (1993). Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals. UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN978-0-198163-16-9.
^ abcMeddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020). Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. pp. 13–14. ISBN978-1-907464-45-4.
^. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
^The first Glastonbury festival at Utopia Britannica
^ abDzamba Sessa, Anne (1985). "British and American Wagnerians". In Large, David; Weber, William (eds.). Wagnerism in European culture and politics. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. p. 259. OCLC 477332588.
^Patrick Benham, The Avalonians (1993), Glastonbury: Gothic Image Publications
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glastonbury, festival, 1914, 1925, music, performing, arts, festival, founded, 1970, glastonbury, festival, first, glastonbury, festivals, most, notable, being, forerunners, glastonbury, festival, were, series, cultural, events, founded, communist, activist, c. For the music and performing arts festival founded in 1970 see Glastonbury Festival The first Glastonbury Festivals most notable for being the forerunners of Glastonbury Festival were a series of cultural events founded by communist activist and composer Rutland Boughton which were held in summer from 1914 to 1925 in Glastonbury Somerset England 1 Despite being an initial success public support and financing for the festivals was lost after Boughton joined the Communist Party of Great Britain CPGB supported the miners during the 1926 United Kingdom general strike and performed a nativity opera Bethlehem depicting Jesus as the son of a miner and King Herod as a capitalist 2 History editThe festivals were founded by English socialist composer Rutland Boughton and his librettist Reginald Buckley 3 Apart from the founding of a national theatre Boughton and Buckley envisaged a summer school and music festival based on utopian principles 4 This was inspired at least in part by the concept of the temple theatre first proposed by Richard Wagner and its corresponding festival Bayreuth a place for the common people to congregate around art 5 With strong Arthurian connections and historic and prehistoric associations Glastonbury was chosen to host the festivals At the turn of the century one of the earliest New Age communities had already established itself in the area 6 The agricultural setting was also considered an asset as Boughton and Buckley felt that real art can only grow out of real life 5 Among the supporters were Sir Edward Elgar and George Bernard Shaw while financial support was received from the Clark family shoemakers in nearby Street The first festival included the premiere performance of Boughton s opera The Immortal Hour By the time the festivals ended in 1926 350 staged works had been performed as well as a programme of chamber music lectures and recitals 1 Demise edit The festivals ended ignominiously when Boughton s backers withdrew funds following a scandalous production of his Nativity opera Bethlehem in London 1 In sympathy with the miners and the ongoing General Strike the production had Jesus born in a miner s cottage with King Herod as a top hatted capitalist and his soldiers in police uniforms 2 The demise of the festival was also hastened once it became public knowledge that Boughton had joined the Communist Party of Great Britain CPGB losing him the support of many wealthy supporters 2 References edit a b c Hurd Michael 1993 Rutland Boughton and the Glastonbury Festivals UK Clarendon Press ISBN 978 0 198163 16 9 a b c Meddick Simon Payne Liz Katz Phil 2020 Red Lives Communists and the Struggle for Socialism UK Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited pp 13 14 ISBN 978 1 907464 45 4 The Rutland Boughton Music Trust Archived from the original on 12 July 2010 Retrieved 29 December 2019 The first Glastonbury festival at Utopia Britannica a b Dzamba Sessa Anne 1985 British and American Wagnerians In Large David Weber William eds Wagnerism in European culture and politics Ithaca and London Cornell University Press p 259 OCLC 477332588 Patrick Benham The Avalonians 1993 Glastonbury Gothic Image Publications nbsp This article about an organisation in England is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article related to a British festival is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Glastonbury Festival 1914 1925 amp oldid 1167921255, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
