Orkney plans to celebrate Saint Rognvald
(Source: The Orcadian)
Story dated: March 9, 2005

A special service to mark the 850th anniversary of the death of the founder of St Magnus Cathedral has been given the go ahead.

St Rognvald founded and paid for St Magnus Cathedral in memory of his uncle, St Magnus.

He is remembered in prayers each week as part of the Sunday service, and his bones are entombed in one of the pillars within the part of the building known as the choir.

A report to the OIC St Magnus Cathedral sub-committee meeting on Monday put forward an argument for marking the anniversary.

It stated: “In 1958, on the 800th anniversary of St Rognvald’s death, a special service was held in the cathedral to mark the occasion, and the cathedral minister has indicated he would be keen to recognise the anniversary in the same way.

“The choir director is interested in identifying an appropriate range of music for such a service, and has suggested the composer from Grimstadt, Bjarne Slogedal, be approached to write an appropriate piece of music.

“The choir director is due to visit Grimstadt in July 2006, and would be willing to make an initial approach.

“Staff within the department of education and recreation services have expressed interest in producing a dramatic performance involving children, and the cultural co-ordinator of heritage has indicated that she would like to produce a schools pack in advance of the event, based on the life and times of St Rognvald, for use in schools-based topic work.”

Councillors agreed that a working group to organise the programme of events should be set up and that further reports should go to the sub-committee on progress the special celebration.