In Oxford, England, the traditional May Day morning event at Magdalen College is called May Morning.
The celebration takes place on May 1 and centres on Magdalen Tower, the college’s 144-foot landmark. At 6 a.m., the college choir traditionally sings from the tower, drawing large crowds of students, residents, and visitors to the High Street and Magdalen Bridge.
The musical programme includes the Hymnus Eucharisticus, followed traditionally by the madrigal “Now Is the Month of Maying.” The Dean of Divinity also leads prayers and blesses the university, city, and assembled crowd. The event combines an academic-college tradition with older European May Day customs welcoming spring and summer.
May Morning is sometimes confused with Oxford’s May balls, which are separate formal student events usually held later in the season. The 6 a.m. tower singing is the distinctive feature that identifies Magdalen’s May Morning.