May Morning 

 

One of the great traditions in Oxford is that of May Morning, the time when the city celebrates the coming of Spring. Since the early 16th century, the first day of May has begun at 6am with Magdalen College Choir singing from the top of the Great Tower, welcoming the rising sun. The occasion typically attracts crowds of thousands of people to the High Street below, bringing together Oxford's communities to enjoy dancing, singing and revelry, and to listen to the Choir from the foot of the Tower.

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Unusual May Mornings

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Owing to the pandemic, May Morning 2020 was celebrated with an online offering, recorded remotely by members of the Choir during the national lockdown.  In May 2021, the Choir presented an Online May Morning, recorded in secret during the preceding week.