Seek The Light

She begins the series with the story of the Sabal Bermudana. This rare palm tree was the pride of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic gardens and the oldest specimen in their living collection. Sadly the plant's own desire to seek the light sealed its fate, as its growth threatened to push through the dome of the garden's iconic Victorian glass house. On the eve of its cutting down, Karine and fellow artist-in-residence Pippa Murphy, hosted a living wake: acknowledging the grief of the gardeners who tended the tree.
But it turns out the Sabal Bermudana had been carrying a secret for all of its 200 year plus life, one which speaks of colonialism's history of plundering the natural botanical wealth of former colonies. It would seem the palm tree will have the last laugh over those who venerated its rarity. As Karine discovers, the natural world resists being forced into the boxes we try to create for it.

Through song and narration, Karine gives voice to the palm tree, charting its long history and relationship with those who've watered, fed and pruned it over the centuries. And she reveals its true identify.

Produced by Peter McManus
Written and presented by Karine Polwart
Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart
Piano - Dave Milligan
Small pipes - Gary West
Additional recording - Mattie Foulds

With thanks to Simon Allen, Emma Nicholson, Amy Porteous, Alan Elliot, Shauna Hay, and Ian Edwards of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh.

Musician Karine Polwart weaves together stories of science, history and the theme of light

Stories of science, history and the natural world woven together around a theme of light.

She begins the series with the story of the Sabal Bermudana. This rare palm tree was the pride of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic gardens and the oldest specimen in their living collection. Sadly the plant's own desire to seek the light sealed its fate, as its growth threatened to push through the dome of the garden's iconic Victorian glass house. On the eve of its cutting down, Karine and fellow artist-in-residence Pippa Murphy, hosted a living wake: acknowledging the grief of the gardeners who tended the tree.
But it turns out the Sabal Bermudana had been carrying a secret for all of its 200 year plus life, one which speaks of colonialism's history of plundering the natural botanical wealth of former colonies. It would seem the palm tree will have the last laugh over those who venerated its rarity. As Karine discovers, the natural world resists being forced into the boxes we try to create for it.

Through song and narration, Karine gives voice to the palm tree, charting its long history and relationship with those who've watered, fed and pruned it over the centuries. And she reveals its true identify.

Produced by Peter McManus
Written and presented by Karine Polwart
Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart
Piano - Dave Milligan
Small pipes - Gary West
Additional recording - Mattie Foulds

With thanks to Simon Allen, Emma Nicholson, Amy Porteous, Alan Elliot, Shauna Hay, and Ian Edwards of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh.

Musician Karine Polwart weaves together stories of science, history and the theme of light

Stories of science, history and the natural world woven together around a theme of light.

Karine looks up into the dark for a story of discovery, diversity and the righting of a historical wrong.

When young geologist turned planetary scientist Annie Lennox surveyed the night sky of her Aberdeenshire home, little did she realise that one day she'd be giving names to landmarks on our closest neighbours in the solar system. In 2021, while studying for her PhD, Annie discovered an enormous 50km wide crater near Mercury's southern pole. An area that had never been seen in sunlight until until the Messenger mission of 2015.

The crater's distinctive spectral colour and shape caught her eye. As the first person to see it, Annie has the honour of naming it. An accomplished singer and harpist, Annie named it 'Nairne' after the 17th-century Scottish poet and songwriter Lady Carolina Nairne.

All the craters of Mercury are named after famous artists, Burns and Pushkin are there along with Bach and Boccaccio. And it was this dominance of white men that Annie wanted to challenge. The International Atstonomical Union's naming conventions around new discoveries have proven themselves inherently sexist and exclusionary and Annie felt compelled to do waht she could to rebalance it. In her lifetime, Lady Carolina Nairne was responsible for such staples of Scottish folk singing as 'Charlie is my darlin' and 'Caller Herrin', yet she's largely unknown, publishing much of her work anonymously or under pseudonyms. Now there is a corner of the universe that will forever be a testament to her talents.

Produced by Peter McManus

Written and presented by Karine Polwart

Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart

Piano - Dave Milligan

Musician Karine Polwart weaves together stories of science, history and the theme of light

Stories of science, history and the natural world woven together around a theme of light.

Singer, story teller and seven-times Radio 2 Folk Awards winner, Karine Polwart brings together her love of science, history and the natural world.

Karine looks up into the dark for a story of discovery, diversity and the righting of a historical wrong.

When young geologist turned planetary scientist Annie Lennox surveyed the night sky of her Aberdeenshire home, little did she realise that one day she'd be giving names to landmarks on our closest neighbours in the solar system. In 2021, while studying for her PhD, Annie discovered an enormous 50km wide crater near Mercury's southern pole. An area that had never been seen in sunlight until until the Messenger mission of 2015.

The crater's distinctive spectral colour and shape caught her eye. As the first person to see it, Annie has the honour of naming it. An accomplished singer and harpist, Annie named it 'Nairne' after the 17th-century Scottish poet and songwriter Lady Carolina Nairne.

All the craters of Mercury are named after famous artists, Burns and Pushkin are there along with Bach and Boccaccio. And it was this dominance of white men that Annie wanted to challenge. The International Atstonomical Union's naming conventions around new discoveries have proven themselves inherently sexist and exclusionary and Annie felt compelled to do waht she could to rebalance it. In her lifetime, Lady Carolina Nairne was responsible for such staples of Scottish folk singing as 'Charlie is my darlin' and 'Caller Herrin', yet she's largely unknown, publishing much of her work anonymously or under pseudonyms. Now there is a corner of the universe that will forever be a testament to her talents.

Produced by Peter McManus

Written and presented by Karine Polwart

Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart

Piano - Dave Milligan

Musician Karine Polwart weaves together stories of science, history and the theme of light

Stories of science, history and the natural world woven together around a theme of light.

Lovers of the light, Terns spend their lives in its constant pursuit. They arrive in Scotland in May and spend their summer breeding and raising their young before setting off on the mind-bogglingly long 20,000 mile migration to Antarctica. With a lifespan of 30 years, it's the equivalent of flying to the moon and back. And it means arctic terns see more daylight than any other creature on the planet.

It's in telling this story that Karine is led to one of the tern's strongholds, the magical Isle of May, five miles off the Fife coast. For humans, the Isle of May has its own light-related significance. Since 1635, sailors have been kept safe by a lighthouse there, the first was a crude affair, but it became the site for the first of the Stevenson lighthouses, and that majestic building still stands.

Now the island is best known for its seabird colonies and the scientific research into them. Speaking to scientists there, Karine will further explore the mysteries of bird migration, a recurring theme in many of her works. So much of it revolves around light and dark. While the terns may be seeking the summer sun it's by the stars that they find their way. Polaris, the pole star is crucial; and this leads Karine to speak with Stephen Emlen, the professor of neurobiology and behaviour that discovered this by taking live buntings into a planetarium and systematically blocking out constellations to see how they reacted. The experiment showed that the birds are primed for night time navigation, not by an inborn star map but by paying 'close attention to the movement of the sky. They're hardwired to pay attention to something, which then takes on meaning.

Produced by Peter McManus

Written and presented by Karine Polwart

Music by Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy

Vocals - Karine Polwart

Piano - Dave Milligan

Musician Karine Polwart weaves together stories of science, history and the theme of light

Stories of science, history and the natural world woven together around a theme of light.