NorthLink Ferries is lending its support to musicians travelling to this year’s St Magnus Festival, the annual midsummer celebration of music, dance, poetry, theatre and exhibitions.

The ferry company, now in its ninth month of operating the lifeline service to Orkney and Shetland, is providing free travel for the instruments and several musicians of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and discounted rates for many other performers, including the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and the Festival Club band La Sonera Calaveras.

Glenys Hughes, festival director, said: “Despite the expense associated with bringing orchestras to the islands, such visits remain a cornerstone of our programming. Without a visiting orchestra, the festival programme would be much less attractive to both local and visiting audiences and we are grateful to NorthLink for its assistance in providing travel sponsorship for many of our travelling musicians.

“Once our performers are here we like to keep them busy and to involve them wherever possible in the community aspects of the festival, rather than have them simply give one or two concerts and then disappear.

“This year, as well as giving three major concerts, the BBC Philharmonic will split into groups to visit five of Orkney's outer islands, where they'll give workshops for the island schools and concerts for the local communities - and no doubt enjoy a taste of island hospitality."

The St Magnus Festival was founded in 1977 by esteemed composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who aimed to bring professional performances of the highest calibre to Orkney, to commission and perform new music (with a natural emphasis on work being produced in Scotland), and, equally importantly, to involve local people in every aspect of the event. Twenty six years on, ‘Max’ will take to the stage on the festival’s opening night (June 20) at Kirkwall’s Pickaquoy Centre, to conduct the BBC Philharmonic in performances of two of his Orkney-inspired works.

NorthLink has, in its first six months of operation, provided sponsorship and prizes to more than 100 clubs, societies, businesses and individuals in the north of Scotland and Northern Isles areas.

Elaine Tulloch, marketing projects manager at NorthLink, said: “When we devised our sponsorship programme for the year, we were very keen to support events and organisations that benefit the local communities within the areas we serve and the St Magnus Festival certainly does so. The festival has always stressed its community interest - the local population is central to festival performances, with children in particular given the opportunity to become involved.

“To this end we are delighted to have been able to help bring some of the performers to Orkney for this year’s festival and look forward to welcoming them on board our vessels this week."