Sing Before Night (Summer Solstice)
Words from the poem "Dusk in June" by Sara Teasdale
Music, performance, production, etc. by me! (Michael T Roberts)
Music, performance, production, etc. by me! (Michael T Roberts)
This is the first in what I hope will be a series of songs celebrating The Wheel of the Year: the Solstices, Equinoxes, and "cross-quarter" days of Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (May 1), Lughnsadh (August 1), and Samhain (November 1).
For a number of years now, our family has spent the Summer Solstice on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina (I took the above photo at dawn of the Summer Solstice this year, 2025). One of my rituals is to take a quiet walk at a nature preserve on the island, where the forest feels primeval and the bird life is abundant and highly vocal. I took recordings during my Solstice walk last year (2024) and used them as a backdrop for this recording. I'm not exactly sure which birds we're hearing here, but I can tell you this island has a wealth of Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Towhees, and many others that are very likely represented! I love them, and love this poem, and I think they go together very nicely.
For a number of years now, our family has spent the Summer Solstice on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina (I took the above photo at dawn of the Summer Solstice this year, 2025). One of my rituals is to take a quiet walk at a nature preserve on the island, where the forest feels primeval and the bird life is abundant and highly vocal. I took recordings during my Solstice walk last year (2024) and used them as a backdrop for this recording. I'm not exactly sure which birds we're hearing here, but I can tell you this island has a wealth of Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Towhees, and many others that are very likely represented! I love them, and love this poem, and I think they go together very nicely.
Dusk in June
Evening, and all the birds
In a chorus of shimmering sound
Are easing their hearts of joy
For miles around.
The air is blue and sweet,
The few first stars are white,—
Oh let me like the birds
Sing before night.
In a chorus of shimmering sound
Are easing their hearts of joy
For miles around.
The air is blue and sweet,
The few first stars are white,—
Oh let me like the birds
Sing before night.