Glasgow’s traditional Lenten arts festival kicks off on Ash Wednesday, February 13, with a heady mix of art and faith running for the six week lead-up to Easter.
Now in its 7th year, the annual event has received endorsements from the Vatican as well as some of Scotland’s leading artists along the way.
Brass musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a travelling play entitled the pilgrimage are among the acts expected to play at the festival.
The Festival kicks off with a fusion of art forms on Ash Wednesday when one of Scotland’s best known painters, Sandy Moffat, will produce a new work during the opening ceremony while emerging opera singer Martin Aelred performs music from Puccini Messa di Gloria. Moffat’s painting will then be auctioned to support SCIAF, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s Syria Emergency Appeal.
Lentfest is the biggest festival of the Year for the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project founded in 2006.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow said: «This year’s Lentfest promises an amazing array of opportunities for people across the Glasgow area to engage with faith through art. Many of the performances will be taken to areas which do not usually have visiting theatre companies or musicians in their neighborhood. The aim of the festival is to reach out to people of all faiths and none with the Christian message as expressed in art.»
«Over the years the Festival has grown in size and importance, and I am delighted to be able to launch it for the 2013 season at the start of Lent when we propose the Christian message anew in all its splendor.»
«Each year the Festival has its own surprises and highlights,» said Stephen Callaghan, director of Lentfest.
«This year we are delighted to have the great Sandy Moffat give of his time and talent, and the great concerts of brass music and Gaelic music will be special highlights. But Lentfest is very much a community arts festival and some of my best memories are of taking theatre to the housing schemes of Glasgow and finding there receptive audiences and the warmest of welcomes.»
