MAY Day 2005 will be welcomed bright and early at Merrivale Stone Circle with a special music and arts dawn chorus, being staged by the Tavistock Sings! music festival and Peninsula Arts, as part of Plymouth University Sacred Footprints Exhibition. A breathtaking performance of music and dance will take place within the stone circle with the All Out Choir and friends, an especially composed and choreographed piece for djembe drum and dancer, alongside a Cornish Celtic Piper, local choirs and performers. The Dawn Chorus is being directed by a stage and theatre producer from Mexico, Miguel Silva. A dancer from Dartington Arts will be performing a choreographed piece within the stone circle accompanied by a drummer. There will also be the reading of ancient text and a children?s circle and spiral dance that will form what is sure to be one of the most unique and eclectic musical events this year. Organiser Caroline Keane of Tavistock said: ?Early risers will be well rewarded. This is a wonderful opportunity to create a May Day dawn that is especially significant and in keeping with this beautiful ancient site on Dartmoor ? it will be truly memorable.? The event is free and will start at 0530 hrs, the performance will last for one hour. Following the performance a community picnic will take place near to the car park where hot drinks and toilet facilities will be available. Visitors are asked to bring warm clothes, blankets, stout footwear and a picnic breakfast to share. The Sacred Footprints Exhibition is a programme of events and lectures focussing on stone structures from the Neolithic period to present day, spanning the Orkney Islands to Malta. The exhibition is being held at Plymouth University Cube 3 gallery until 1st July 2005. A free music and dance workshop for children lead by Chanda Nverezani and Hannah Silva is being held at the Molly Owen Centre, Pixon Lane, Tavistock on April 30, between 10am and12.30 pm, to teach a dance to the children who will attend the dawn chorus performance . A garland-making workshop for the performance will be held in the afternoon. Everybody is welcome to both events. Merrivale Stone Circle is situated at SX 553 746 GB Grid. For further information, call Caroline Keane on 01822 610546 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]