>Not to mention the celebratory aspect of the solstice

Exactly.... folk have all year to enjoy being herded around Stonehenge in silence... or at least to the sound of camera's clicking and Americans loudly announcing "aw gee, it ain't as big as I thought it'd be". A bit of drumming n' cheering at the Solstice does no harm to anyone..... hellfire... I remember when the likes of Hawkwind, Subhumans and the rest used to make a right old racket nearby.

Back on the medication now....