Drumming up support for Stonehenge
| Published: 29th June 2007 14:16 |
English Heritage (South West)
Drumming up support for Stonehenge
- Druids perform drumming ceremony to shore up support for Stonehenge's New7Wonders bid-
With just over a week to go before the New 7 Wonders of the World are announced, a group of Druids will perform a drumming ceremony at the ancient Stone Circle on Thursday 28 June to urge people to vote Stonehenge into the final seven while they still have time.
The race to become a New 7 Wonder is nearly over: the final seven will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal, on 7 July, but votes can be cast right up until midnight of 6 July 2007 - the night before the winners are announced.
Thursday's drumming ceremony will be performed by a group of around 30 Druids in cycles of ten minutes between 8 and 9am inside the Stone Circle. It is a traditionally based Druid rite, adapted for the occasion, which involves honouring the spirits of nature, blessing the earth with drumming and the blowing of trumpets.
Frank Somers, Stonehenge Druid and member of the Council of British Druid Orders, said: 'Stonehenge is a creation of great beauty, mystery, and human achievement. We hope that it will inspire people in the ages to come as it always has in the past. Its designers had vision of a sacred place that perfectly reflects the movements of Earth Sun and Moon, that which sustain life. They built with perfect proportion and geometry a structure that for all its apparent simplicity is still totally beautiful. We must surely learn from their example if we are to meet the challenges of our age; we must dream great dreams, build them together and, in all that we do, be in balance with nature.
'Stonehenge is a symbol of hope and inspiration for the whole world. If you do nothing else this year, please vote for Stonehenge, it will make a difference!'
Stonehenge Director, Peter Carson, said: 'Stonehenge is an invaluable part of our heritage and draws visitors from all over the world. It truly deserves to become a New 7 Wonder in recognition of its historical and cultural importance and I urge people to make their votes count before it is too late.'
Stonehenge is one of 21 finalists in the race to become one of the New 7 Wonders. A variety of 'wonders' from around the world including The Acropolis, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu are in the running and votes can be cast right up until midnight of 6 July 2007 - the night before the winners are announced.
The New7Wonders World Tour visited Stonehenge last October as part of its global tour to highlight the 21 finalists. A high-tech airship soared over the monument and to celebrate its candidacy, around 50 robed druids performed a ceremony in and around the stone circle. New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber also presented the official certificate of candidacy to Stonehenge Director, Peter Carson.
For details of how to vote online, by phone or via SMS text message, visit http://www.new7wonders.com or send "Stonehenge" via text to 61188 - each text message costs 50p plus standard operator charges.
Issued on behalf of English Heritage by
Government News Network South West
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