Marking midsummer with music and stories at the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney
10 June 2013
To celebrate the longest day of the year on Friday 21 June
, the World Heritage Site (WHS) rangers at the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney will be hosting an evening of music, stories and verse.
Celebrate the Spirit of the Stones brings together a number of local musicians and storytellers – including Tom Rendall, Sarah-Jane Gibbon, Bruce Mainland, Eric Linklater and the Song Shop Choir – to depict a journey through time via the myths and legends that surround the Ring of Brodgar.
Artists will perform inside the Ring while the audience walks around the outside, and the site itself will play a key role in the performance. The hour-long event starts at 6pm and is free, with no need to book.
Furthermore, visitors to the site on Sunday 16 June and Sunday 14 July will be able to find out more about the Ring of Brodgar’s beautiful wildflower meadow and the management of the landscape.
WHS ranger Keith Brown will be taking visitors on free tours of the meadow, highlighting species including Marsh Marigolds, Lady’s Smock, Dog Violet and Spring Squill.
There is no need to book on these guided walks. Visitors should meet in the Ring of Brodgar car park at 11am. For further information on either event, visitors can contact the rangers on 01856 841732
Elaine Clarke, World Heritage Site Ranger said: “Orkney is a spectacular place to celebrate the longest day of the year, and the Ring of Brodgar, with its incredible setting, is the perfect spot to mark the occasion. Celebrate the Spirit of the Stones, will use both the landscape and the stones themselves to bring the stories behind the Ring of Brodgar to life, and promises to be a really exciting performance.”
She added: “The Ring of Brodgar is home to a broad variety of beautiful wildflowers and the ranger walks are a great opportunity for visitors to discover more about this iconic landscape and its management.”
Ken Hambly one of the Celebrate the Spirit of the Stones performers said: “The Ring of Brodgar is an exciting, mysterious place. It is a privilege to be allowed to try to capture the spirit of the stones in song and verse. There are a few surprises for the audience too.”