It was a lovely surprise to see an email from BBC Introducing this morning mentioning that my piece ‘Among Summer Hills’ from the Evening Chorus EP I (re)released last year had been included in the latest episode of The Sleeping Forecast. This one’s theme is the summer solstice and the history of Stonehenge (“It’s killing me that no one knows / Why it was built 5000 years ago.”). I have always loved the vibe of The Sleeping Forecast but this episode is something extra special.
Sink into a deep sleep with a dreamy lecture from 1966 on how Stonehenge helped ancient civilisations to observe the motions of the sun and the moon, by astronomy professor Gerald Hawkins, alongside the sounds of peaceful classical music from BBC Introducing, and the Shipping Forecast.
I’ve always associated the piece with early summer in Hampshire, and made a little video many years back to accompany this music. The fact that this piece has had a second wind since I rereleased it last summer does go to show you should not underestimate the potential of a record relaunch.