The Dear Sun is Setting: Midsummer Playlist 2026
To enter into Summer Solstice Week together, I wanted to share a new playlist: “The Dear Sun is Setting: Midsummer Playlist 2026” is an exploration of European folk songs and music for this ritual-laden holiday of fire, dew, and magic. Enjoy a mix of fast-paced, reverent and reflective pieces from Slavic, Baltic and western European folk traditions, drawing on the beliefs of this jubilant holiday. Amongst the picks on this list are:
"Ozoliņi" (Little Oak Trees), a Latvian folk song traditionally enjoyed at the summer solstice (Jāņi), which praises the beauty and strength of oak trees.
“Kwiat Paproci” (Fern Flower), a Polish song about the search for the legendary fern flower on St. John's Night. This mythological fern is said to grant a variety of powers to whoever successfully collects it.
“Nuslaide Saulala” (The Sun Has Set in the Evening), a Lithuanian song traditionally sun at summer solstice, which we'll be learning this weekend!
"Saint John's Night Song," an English translation of a Polish Renaissance poem describing the traditions of the summer solstice.
“Summer Solstice Song,” a perfectly sweet and short song that's easy to learn for this holiday, from the British Pilgrimage Trust.
Click here to start listening!
