A group of Tibetan monks will conclude their UK tour with a performance in Salisbury.
The monks, from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, will perform at Salisbury Medieval Hall on Tuesday, November 26.
This will be part of a special event to mark the centenary of the release of Captain John Noel’s classic 1924 film, The Epic of Everest.
The film, which documents the second Mount Everest summit attempt, will be screened at the event.
It will be accompanied by an introductory talk by author Mick Conefrey and a live prologue of Tibetan music by the monks.
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To promote the release of the film 100 years ago, Captain Noel arranged to bring six Buddhist monks from Gyantse Monastery in Tibet to Europe for the first time.
The Gyantse monks performed a prologue of Tantric music and chants when the film premiered in London, Paris, and Berlin before undertaking a national tour of UK cinema halls.
The visit of the Tibetan monks 100 years ago generated widespread press coverage at the time, and they made a number of radio broadcasts for the fledgling BBC radio network as audiences in the 1920s, gripped by Tibetmania and legends of a forbidden kingdom of snow, Lamas, Shangri-La and Yetis were astounded by the sights and sounds of Tibetan Buddhism.
A diplomatic incident, referred to as ‘The Affair of the Dancing Lamas’ ensued between the UK and Tibet when news of the performances at London's New Scala Theatre reached the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, and it transpired the monks had not been granted permission to perform in the west.
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Further attempts by the British to climb Mount Everest were banned by the 13th Dalai Lama for nearly a decade and debate over the fate and legend of Mallory and Irvine continues to this day- reignited by the discovery last month of the partial remains of explorer Sandy Irvine who died during the legendary 1924 expedition.
The monks’ UK tours are managed by the Salisbury-based charity, The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery UK Trust.
The event, which will take place at Salisbury Medieval Hall, will start at 7pm.
Tickets cost £22 and are available via Eventbrite.
For more information, visit salisburymedievalhall.com.
The monks have performed at Glastonbury, WOMAD, The Royal Opera House, and the Edinburgh Fringe.
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