Midsummer celebrations, the Mark of a Druid and Angus Og Well, it's Midsummer. Or actually, just after Midsummer and it has been absolutely swelteringly hot here. Absolutely glorious weather! If the weather is like this for you, we recommend a nice, long, cool drink, an comfy chair, headphones and settling down for a Monster of a Show! We've been away for a month now. Unbelievably, with all of the ups and downs that life throws at you, we're still here! We're back - and to make up for our absence we bring you the biggest Celtic Myth Podshow Special ever!! It's just over an hour and a half long! If you like to listen to the show while commuting, it might be an idea to split it up into two halves. If you stop just after our visit to the Dragon's Head to see Duncan, you'll be all set for the story in the last half. We've got six great pieces of music for you, some chat about the Festival of Midsummer, a really exciting section from Rhonda Carpenter's Celtic novel, The Mark of a Druid and some listener contributions to bring you - a poem and a beautiful story.Oh, and don't forget our regular trip to the highlands to meet up with old Duncan in another trip to the Dragon's Head for a story from our resident Scottish Shannachie. Don't blame us if the world misses you for an hour and a half while you get into some serious fun! Full show notes, details and Contributor pages over at our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/midsummer2009 Running Order: Intro 0:40 News & Views 1:24 Mooncoin by The Irish Experience 3:53 Midsummer Celebrations on Sacred Texts 6:30 Gathering by Andrew Hargreaves 13:30 The Storyteller by Willo's Song 15:44 I Forgot by the Witchy Godmother 19:23 Midsummer's Night by Jillian LaDage 28:02 The Sleep of Angus Og by Andy Guthrie 33:40 Midsummer Night's Dream by Karen Kay & Michael Tingle 43:34 The Gathering - Part 1 from The Mark of a Druid by Rhonda Carpenter 48:30 Noon of the Solstice by Damh the Bard 1:14:43 Listener Feedback - Jen 1:22:03 Fairy Tale by Omnia 1:23:16 Promo - Ayepod 1:28:44 Outtakes 1:31:59 We hope you enjoy it! Gary & Ruthie x x Released: 19th Sep 2009, 1hr 40m We love hearing from you! Email garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com, or call us using Speakpipe News & Views We talk about all of the wonderful submissions that we have had for the Show and the Website; poems, stories and some fabulous art. We also mention that we're really proud to have been nominated for the 2009 Parsec awards for Speculative Fiction Podcasting.   Mooncoin by The Irish Experience The Irish Experience was formed in 1996 to entertain Seattle pub crowds on Saint Patrick's Day, and their music quickly found a much broader appeal. Attracting fans of all ages, their upbeat music has been praised for guiding folks through the gnarly turns and tempering their road rage. The Irish Experience play Celtic and Appalachian music on traditional electric instruments. You can find out more details about The Irish Experience on their website or on their Contributor Page on our website.   Midsummer Celebrations on Sacred Texts There are two sources for the information in this section and both can be found on Sacred Texts. Thomas Wright's article (from which the image on the left derives) can be also found on Sacred Texts. The piece in question is here.   Gathering by Andrew Hargreaves Andrew is a very talented friend of ours who excels at many arts and crafts. Apart from his wonderful music and poems, he is a superb woodworker and you can find examples of his work on his website, wildyew.com, where some of his pieces are available to buy. You can find out more about Andrew on his Contributor Page.   The Storyteller by Willo's Song Willo's Song is an acoustic, folk act based in Wiltshire UK. Daryl says: After a brief spell in Canada I returned to Wiltshire, UK in Summer 2004 and in 2008 have started writing music again, concentrating on a more acoustic, folky style with the intention of recording and releasing a new CD in 20