Music for the Sun
Midsummer Night's Eve imbues masculinity into the month of June. A sabbat that comes alive with warmth, wrapping us in gold, red, and maize yellow to represent the Sun God who now reaches his pinnacle. His lady, Nature as the Mother Goddess, is heavy with child (the promise of the fruits of the season), and so this celebration merges expectancy with joyous awareness. As light consummates this longest day, the playful spirit in each of us is called forth to dance, sing and become entwined with nature as she sets her buoyant and bright gifts on display. Sunflowers are great representations of this sabbat, along with ivy. All around, the flame of the ascended king touches with warmth, and passions become bold. These passions are what should be reflected in music played. Whether it is a group celebration or a solitary meditation, all sabbats are enhanced with air magic such as chimes, bells and song.
Midsummer also has strong ties to faeries and their love of music is no secret. The tunes chosen should call to mind reds, golds and the heat of Sun God. This sabbat entwines passion and playfulness, so this too should be echoed within the music. I've found particular instruments are able to convey this mood well. Spanish guitar, flute, drum rhythm, bass, bagpipes and symbols just to name a few. A raspy or deeper voice adds much to the elemental atmosphere as opposed to high tones or falsetto. I've also found chant (as in gregorian) an excellent choice for this sabbat.
Choose arrangements that seem to convey themselves with masculine overtones. Or instrumentals that have a feeling of vibrancy, including an obvious solo or uplifting beat. I have found several favorites over the years that I find I can not limit to just Midsummer; they are listened to whenever I need to be reminded of my inner strength and the brilliance of life. These titles along with artists are recommended:
Desert Rose~Sting which offers Indie back-up vocals that are evocative along with a mesmerizing beat.
From the Rob Roy soundtrack composed by Carter Burwell:"Home From The Hills""A Standing Stone, A Silk Purse""Born By Rapids"
These songs offer potent bagpipes and drum rhythms along with mystical{and somewhat lighter} melodies of desire woven in.
From the Pure Moods Album (the original):"Return To Innocence" & "Sadeness" by Enigma"Sweet Lullabye" by Deep Forest"Main title Theme from The Last Emperor" by David Byrne"Yeha-Noha" by Sacred Spirits"The Promise" by Michael Nyman"Lily Was Here" by David A Stewart w/Candy Duffer
Within these tracks, awareness of inner strength abounds. There are severalmoving solos such as the sax in "Lily" and chant is heard in Enigma's Sadeness.From the Pure Moods III Album:"Land of Anaka" by Geoffrey Oryeme & Brian Eno"Dela Dela" by Sacred Spirits"Virtue" by Jesse Cook"On Sacred Ground" by Yanni
Here, you'll find yourself surrounded with uplifting and passionate sensations."Anaka" offers a deep drum rhythm that is infectious. This beat is carried through on "Dela Dela" with some serious flute added. "Virtue" is my favorite on this album with its exquisite spanish guitar.
I hope by grouping several of these suggestions by album is found helpful. Truly, the Pure Moods series holds a bounty of inspirational music for all of our spiritual events. More Gregorian chant can be had in the album "Mystical Chants". This type of chant along with Native American chant offer deep resonance that should be associated with the sun sabbat.
Make sure the music feels right, and never forget to dance. Sound, sunlight and energy combined will make the solstice a moving experience!
