Sunrise Ceremony
We will welcome the longest day of the year in a shared moment of joy and renewal at our Sunrise Ceremony. As our music around the fire draws to a close, we will gather in the Sacred Glade for our torch-lit procession to Solstice Hill. On arrival, in the hushed stillness before the first light, we’ll gather in a horseshoe facing the North-East and turn together toward the rising sun.
As the horizon glows, our Sunrise Ceremony will honour the solstice as the triumph of light over darkness; a living embodiment of hope, clarity, and renewal, for the world and within ourselves. Together, we will offer gratitude for the life-giving energy that sustains all of us, recognising the sun as the source of growth, warmth, and connection.
Our intimate midsummer ceremony is guided by Chris Park, our wisdom keeper and steward of the dawn. Chris will guide us deep into the realm of the Oak King who represents the shared will of our community to honour and care for nature. And his Summer Lady, a radiant embodiment of Mother Earth, who brings gratitude, creativity, and a deep sense of belonging. Gift Bearers will step forward from the four directions, carrying elemental offerings that channel stability, clarity and compassion into the circle.
As we share fire, music and morning song, our collective voice binds us as community, lifting the ceremony into deep joy and merriment. The Sunrise Ceremony is not something to observe; it is something to hold, together. An unmissable Solstice moment at this dawn, on this land, with these people, under this epic sun.
Timings
3.15am Gather in the Sacred Glade
3.30am Procession to Solstice Hill
4.45am Sunrise Ceremony
Chris Park
Chris Park is an initiate of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, artist, musician and storyteller whose work is rooted in the ancient wisdom traditions of these isles. Living on an organic farm in the Vale of the White Horse, he works closely with the land, bees, music and story to nurture connection, wellbeing and a sense of shared belonging.
At Solstice at Wasing, Chris holds space with warmth and depth, guiding a ceremony that honours tradition, the turning of the seasons, the cycles of nature, and our relationship with each other and the Earth. His approach to Druidry is inclusive and accessible, offering a gentle bridge between ancient practice and modern life for both those deeply immersed in spiritual traditions and those encountering them for the first time.
Laura Wilcock
Laura Wilcock is a folk singer, drummer and willow artist whose work is rooted in song, ceremony and a deep relationship with the land. With over 25 years of folk singing experience.
Having spent many years living and travelling in Britain, and later in rural France, Laura gathered songs from across Irish, English, Scottish and French traditions, performing widely as a vocalist and percussionist. Her work has always centred on participation and wellbeing, from leading community song circles and ceremonies to singing in healthcare, education and charitable settings.
At Solstice at Wasing, Laura is an integral presence within the ceremony, offering Celtic drumming and vocals that help hold rhythm, energy and shared intention. Beyond sound, her creative practice extends into the landscape itself, designing and building the willow sculptures and shrines that quietly anchor the woodland spaces.
Through song, rhythm and living materials, Laura creates spaces that invite connection, reflection and belonging, weaving together people, place and the ancient language of the natural world.
Visy Bloodaxe
Visy is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and craftsman whose work draws on dark age, Viking and shamanic folk traditions, bringing ancestral sound into living, contemporary ceremony. Visy specialises in throat singing and ancient stringed instruments such as the tagelharpa, creating music that feels raw, grounded and deeply elemental.
A valued team member at Wasing, year-round, Visy has a close relationship with the land and a deep understanding of its rhythms. His music arises from this connection, honouring place, memory and the shared human past. His voice and instrumentation evoke a time when music, ritual and daily life were inseparable.
At Solstice at Wasing, Visy will offer Celtic-inspired sound woven with ancestral resonance, performing alongside Laura Wilcock to form a powerful musical dialogue. Together, they invite us to listen beyond words, reconnecting us to the deep roots of song, land and lineage.
