Songs for May Day

Subject: Songs for Mayday
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:32 AM

Here's my suggestion:

'Ring Around The Land' by Red Shoes (also the title of their CD)

"And May is here again, our town will cheer again,
And we'll all pull together, hand in hand,
To and fro we'll pass the bow, summer seeds we'll surely sow,
Bright Blessings will Ring Around The Land"

(Words and Music by Carolyn Evans)

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:52 AM

I posted this back in 2002; here it is with corrections:

My Mum (1917-2000) was from Pendlebury (Agecroft Road). She used to have a May song that ran something like:

We come to greet you on the First of May
And we hope you will not turn us away
As we dance and sing round the merry, merry maypole ring
For we are-
Bright as the flowers that bloom in the spring
Light as the birds that fly in the air.

Once we had a maypole, it was a pretty sight,
For pretty Peggy Dolan* was dressed all in white,
As we danced around the maypole, we heard the angels sing-

When Charley Wink came down our snow- white chimney pot
We were gay, bright and gay, happy news I bring.
Lady, lady, bright and shady, in the midst of April showers,
The Queen of May is here today to bring us all a holiday,
A holiday,
Bells are ringing, children singing,
Here is the merry, merry month of May.

*insert name as desired

Not exactly a classic, but it was all we had. The period would be just after World War I.

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:26 AM

That's lovely, Paul. :0)

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:55 AM

Keep the Red Flag Flying.

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST, Tom Bliss
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 07:00 AM

Just one of those evenings
You'd rather stay at home
With a book, a glass and memories
Spend some time alone
Listen to the Word Service
Hear the weather forecast
It's gusting nine to ten
Deteriorating fast

Out of a blue horizon
Storm cloud hit the sail
I had been sunbathing
Hadn't time to bail
Looks like this ships is sinking
This in an SOS
I'm really in the drink
Really in distress

Mayday, mayday, may-dit dit dit da da da dit dit dit
Mayday, mayday, may-dit dit dit da da da dit dit dit

err, there was another verse and a middle 8 - but I cant find the cassette.

© Bliss 01 05 1980

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 10:14 AM

LOL, Tom! (not about the song, I hasten to add, but the circumstances of why it's here)

I realised just now that I'd dun th grammor wrong in th tytel. Oops! :0)

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 10:15 AM

Please could a kindly Mud Elf change the title to 'Songs for May Day'...Thanks

[done]

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 10:47 AM

From my home town - Not one but two May songs!

The old and the new.

I heard a cracker on the radio the other day as well - By Pete Coe. From the beebs playlist it was 'We'll Have A May-Day' and it is still available on iPlayer for the next 4 days.

Cheers

MP

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 10:50 AM

Just found it - about 25 mintes in. Well worth a listen, but be quick!

MP

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 11:23 AM

Here's ours:

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_6877237

The Stretford and Northen May song, words mainly trad, tune by me.

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 11:33 AM

Spring has now unwrapped the flowers (that's the title)

English translation of a medieval song about spring. Tune was later borrowed for the Christmas song "Good King Wenceslas."

You can find all the words at the Cyberhymnal, among other places.

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:03 PM

catholic hymn

bring flowers of the rarest bring flowers of the fairest
from garden and woodland and hillside and dale
now I forgot a line
the praise of the loveliest rose of the vale
our

oh mary we crown thee with blossoms today
queen of the angels queen of the may
oh mary we crown thee with blossoms today
queen of the angels queen of the may

our voices ascending in harmony blending
oh thus may our hearts turn dear mother to thee
and thus shall we prove thee how truly we love thee
how dark without mary life's journey would be

this is a really beautiful song we sang every school day in may and also at may procession..which inspired a graduate thesis cross culturally once ..

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:17 PM

john mcdermott singing queen of the may

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOH8awmOj4c&feature=related

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: treewind
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:41 PM

Cambridge May Garland Song song in about 1900 by children in Peterborough, here perfomed by Mary Humphreys. We'll be doing it tomorrow (May 1st) with the Northstow Mummers as part of the Cambridge May Garland Procession, a custom which was revived only two years ago after having been neglected for thirty years.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: treewind
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:42 PM

Um, 50 years...

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 05:19 PM

mg -

This is the one.

Easy when you used to be a catholic and know where to look :-)

MP

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 May 11 - 05:20 AM

'Hal an Tow' - Alan Prosser and Ian Kearey

Magic! :0)

Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 01 May 11 - 05:49 AM

..... and a completely different sounding Hal-an-tow from The Watersons :)

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: GUEST,ifor
Date: 01 May 11 - 05:53 PM

The Internationale...written in 1872 to commemorate the Paris Commune and still sung the world over including during the rising of the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto in 1943.Stirring song!
ifor

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 May 11 - 06:00 PM

'Now is the Month of Maying'
'Sumer is Acumen In, Lude sing Cuccu'
The Obby Oss song 'In the Merry Morning of May'
'Love is Come Again' (Now the Green Blade Riseth)

Subject: Lyr Add: MAY DAY MORNING EARLY (from Bodleian)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 May 11 - 06:26 PM

Lyr. Add: May Day Morning Early

To the fields I carried my milking can,
All in a morning early,
And there I met with a smart young man,
Who vowed be loved me dearly,
I made him a curtsey, he made me a bow,
He kissed me and promised to marry, I vow !
I wish that young fellow was with me just now,
On a May day morning early.

I strive to forget him, but all in vain,
On a May Day morning early !
And if I should never see him again,
'Twould break my heart, or nearly !
I can't bear the sight of a sheep or a cow,
I want to get married, yet cannot tell how,
I wish that young fellow was with me just now,
On a May day morning early.

A nice one from the Bodleian Collection, Harding B 11(2386), c. 1813-1838, several later printings.

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 May 11 - 06:30 PM

And don't foget that in 3 days it is Star Wars day as well!

MP

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: GUEST,Irish Guest
Date: 02 May 11 - 07:55 AM

That Catholic Hymn mentioned above was recorded by (among others) Fr.Sydney McEwan, a Scottish Priest who was a well know Tenor also and made many other recordings. His recording of "Flowers of the Rarest" used to be played on every Mayday on RTE Radio up to recently.

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 03 May 11 - 07:53 AM

As I roved out........

'...On A Bright May Morning' - Loreena McKennitt

:0)

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 03 May 11 - 11:49 AM

http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/mayjack/mayjack1.html
you will find a set of may songs here

May Morning


Enjoy

Conrad

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: Joe_F
Date: 03 May 11 - 05:30 PM

Moskva

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 04 May 11 - 07:39 AM

I like this which was part of a radio program called "Sticks and Bells" which I believe Steve Heap was responsible for (not sure if that includes the song).

Change the day of the week in the first line to reflect the current year.

THE FIRST OF MAY.

My Granny said the other night, "Next Monday is the day
To mark the ending of the old, it is the first of May."
"Now what's so special." we all cried, "Do we get a day off school ?
Do we go for a bike ride down our lane, or a trip to the swimming pool ?"
Well Granny sat us quietly down and opened her book to read.
"You kids are losing heritage to spaceships, telly and speed.
If only for one minute a day you'd just sit down and try
To think about the days of old. Don't let tradition die."

CH. Like Easter eggs and Bonfire Night and Christmas and New Year,
Our Maypole means so much to us, so give us a rousing cheer.

"When I was younger and lived at home, my brothers and sisters and me
Would work for hours through April showers with ribbons and paint, you see.
All the colours we could find and trim them up so neat
That when the first of May came round we'd the best pole in our street.
The morning of the first of May was special to us all.
We'd dance around the Maypole and on our friends we'd call.
We'd knock on doors and sing our songs with garlands and banners and chains,
And pick up the pennies that folks threw down to drive off the April rains."

Her words put new life in our blood, we'd two days left to go.
Johnny found a wooden pole and painted it for show,
And Susie cut the ribbons up, and Gran taught us the song,
And when the first of May came round we'd do it, right or wrong.
We danced 'til nine o'clock that morn and then set off for school.
We told the teachers what we'd done and I felt a proper fool,
But they were very pleased with us and we showed the class the way
To dance around the Maypole and welcome in the May.

Subject: songs for may day
From: GUEST,emmie
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 07:27 AM

People on this forum have been so helpful that I'm leaning on you again for a bit of advice. I wondered if people could reccomend any songs that were related to may day? Also any general information about it. I want to do something with my son's school again.

Thanks in anticipation.

Subject: RE: songs for may day
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 13 - 04:02 PM

Recently posted in another thread Morris Men Very suitable for Mayday (and taken from the BBC's "Singing Together" so child friendly).

Also This thread lists many options, with links to further lyrics.

Cheers

Nigel

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 13 - 06:21 PM

Wow! so many responses! Thanks everyone!

Subject: RE: Songs for May Day
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 13 - 06:24 AM

'Welcome in another year'
as written and sung by George Papavgeris