Glastonbury Festival (1914–1925)
first glastonbury festival notable forerunner glastonbury festival series cultural event founded communist activist composer rutland boughton held summer glastonbury somerset england despite initial success public support financing festival lost boughton joined communist party great britain cpgb supported miner united kingdom general strike performed nativity opera bethlehem depicting jesus son miner king herod capitalist festival founded english socialist composer rutland boughton librettist reginald buckley apart founding national theatre boughton buckley envisaged summer school music festival based utopian principle inspired least part concept temple theatre first proposed richard wagner corresponding festival bayreuth place common people congregate around art strong arthurian connection historic prehistoric association glastonbury chosen host festival turn century one earliest new age community already established area agricultural setting also considered asset boughton buckley felt real art grow real life among supporter sir edward elgar george bernard shaw financial support received clark family shoemaker nearby street first festival included premiere performance boughtons opera immortal hour time festival ended staged work performed well programme chamber music lecture recital festival hosted première boughton’s musical setting thomas hardy’s play queen cornwall hardy present première said pleased festival ended ignominiously boughtons backer withdrew fund following scandalous production nativity opera bethlehem london sympathy miner ongoing general strike production jesus born miner cottage king herod tophatted capitalist soldier police uniform demise festival also hastened became public knowledge boughton joined communist party great britain cpgb losing support many wealthy supporter