Carissa Swan, Dr Irene O’Brien and Jacqueline Barrett

Readings from the 12th Century

Life of St Mungo (the Vita Kentigerni) in the setting of the Mitchell Library are a favourite part of the Festival.  They are presented within a short service which begins with harp music (played by Carissa Swan), then an excerpt from the mediaeval Vespers, sung this year by Mgr Gerry Fitzpatrick and members of the St Mungo Singers.  The readings in the original Latin and an English translation follow, before the service ends with the singing of Let Glasgow Flourish.

This year on the feast day , after Dr Irene O’Brien (City Archivist) had welcomed everyone and former Bailie Cathy McMaster who had been instrumental in starting the Festival, had spoken of the idea behind it, Glasgow’s Poet Laureate read his short poem – The Bird that Never Flew – based on the legend of Mungo restoring to life the pet robin of St Serf.

St Mungo and his mother, St Enoch, then made their appearance in the persons of two pupils from St Denis’ Primary School – Kamsi Jibulu and Zuriel Odali, who recited poems setting out the lives of the two saints.

The sections of the Vita which were read out this year – the Latin by Mgr Gerry and the English by Rev Mark Johnstone, Minister of Glasgow Cathedral – told of how St Mungo came to Glasgow, brining with him for burial the body of St Fergus (who is believed to be buried beneath the Blacadder Aisle of the Cathedral) and how Mungo came to be elected Bishop by the King, clergy and people of the Kingdom of Cumbria.