
Where the Light Sings: Live from Strumble Head
Marking 200 years of Longstone Lighthouse, Radio 3 embarks on a live musical relay around Britain’s coast, celebrating our lighthouses through music, stories and sound.
One by one, the lights come on…
In the week of World Maritime Day, Radio 3 embarks on a unique live journey around Britain’s coastline, marking the 200th anniversary of Longstone Lighthouse and celebrating the lights that have guarded our shores for generations.
Across twelve hours of live broadcasting, Where the Light Sings travels the length and breadth of the UK in a lighthouse relay, broadcasting from wild and remote places rarely heard on national radio. Presenters around the coast will pass the baton from Dungeness in Kent to Ardnamurchan in Scotland, Strumble Head in Wales, Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland and St Aidan's Church in Bamburgh, where the legendary Victorian lighthouse heroine Grace Darling is buried, before the journey heads towards the far south-western edges of Britain.
Petroc Trelawny anchors the adventure with a special journey of his own - providing updates along the way - to reach his location for the final broadcast of the day as the sun goes down.
Music provides the soundtrack to the journey, from great classical works inspired by the sea, islands and lighthouses, to music rooted in the landscapes and communities around them. Live performances from around the coastline sit alongside the elemental sounds of the sea - crashing waves, wind, gulls and bells - and voices of lighthouse keepers, engineers, lifesavers, sailors, and those whose lives have been shaped by these extraordinary places.
From the first broadcast on the shingle landscape of Dungeness to a final destination on the Atlantic edge of Britain as darkness falls, Where the Light Sings is a shared adventure and a celebration of light, music and our enduring relationship with the sea.
For this fourth light of the day, Shân Cothi presents live from Strumble Head Lighthouse in Pembrokeshire.
Perched on a tiny offshore island at the rugged north-western tip of Pembrokeshire, Strumble Head Lighthouse has stood watch over one of Britain's busiest and most challenging stretches of sea since 1908. Linked to the mainland by a dramatic suspension bridge, the lighthouse overlooks the meeting point of the Irish Sea and St George's Channel, guiding shipping through waters renowned for powerful tides, rocky outcrops and ever-changing weather.
Throughout the programme, Shân explores the rich history and continuing importance of this iconic Welsh landmark.
There will also be live music from the lighthouse featuring former Royal Harpist Claire Jones and folk singer Mari Mathias.
On radio
More episodes
Previous
Broadcast
- Sat 26 Sep 202614:00BBC Radio 3