Musical Morals and Moral Music: The artist and the environment June 30, 2009

Speaker: Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies

What can we expect from our artists, and what should we demand of them?
The independence of artists from society has become an effectively archaic notion, but what
stance can an artist hope to take up on issues such as the environment where there are so many
better-informed voices already clamouring to be heard? Why should we care what an artist says,
and why should the artists bother?
Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, Master of the Queen's Music, is perfectly situated to consider these
questions and will pay particular attention to the environmental issues which lie close to his
own heart.
This is a part of the series of events which will be held in
collaboration with the City of London Festival, which runs from the 19 June to 9 July
2009.

Exciting events for the 2009 Festival are being advanced. The tradition of 'trading places'
with other locations, culturally and commercially, will be maintained. This year the festival
will navigate the latitude of 60 degrees North and reinforce links between the City of London
and seven Baltic and Nordic cities: St Petersburg, Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo,
Kirkwall (Orkney) and Reykjavik, all of which share the 'white nights' of midsummer, a special
quality of light and the maritime environment which uniquely define the 'northness'. There
will be a special focus on the environment and sustainability in this year's Festival.

Official Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/event.asp?PageId=45&EventId=888