Big news everybody: today is the summer solstice.
If at this point you’re sitting there, legs crossed, left hand on chin, trying to remember what the summer solstice is, here’s a refresher.
As the earth wobbles on its axis like a spinning top losing momentum, it tilts towards and away from the sun over the course of the year. So the further you live from the equator, the more variation you experience in terms of hours of sunlight per day as the seasons roll by.
The two solstices (solsti?) are when the earth reaches the extremes of its wobble in either direction, basking one half of the earth in maximum sunlight, and the other half in maximum darkness. So today, for the majority of the world’s population, is the day when we experience maximum daylight. (Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, in which case, grab some vitamin D and bear with us.)
With apologies to Pagans, Wiccans, and people who like hanging out at Stonehenge, the solstice doesn’t carry much cultural significance anymore. But there is something kind of neat about the longest day of the year, about the night pushing back against the day.
Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes place on or near the solstice, and the presence of prank-happy fairies is supposedly because the line between the night world and the day world is at its thinnest on midsummer night, and humans can accidentally cross into the fairy world for one night of astronomy-induced hijinks.
Whether you decide to build a bonfire, have a barbecue, go fairy-spotting, or just sit on your porch with a cold drink, you will of course require a solstice playlist. First up on that playlist: this song.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The brief vocal sample at the outset: “You were a light that shone on my darkness.”
2. The dark, rich keyboard sample.
3. The light, glittering flute sample.
Recommended listening activity:
Standing with your back to the sun as it sets, to see how tall your shadow can be.