The History of May Day

I started thinking about the origin of the May Day celebration first in relation to the maypole dance itself, and I tell you, it’s a huge topic!  Essentially maypole celebrations and rituals have been going on all over the world for centuries, typically symbolizing the onset of spring, fertility, freedom and re-birth. Wikipedia On The Maypole Dance

For me, as always, the music makes clear and vivid the feelings surrounding any historical ritual.

In my research on The May Day Carol, I was delighted to find this lovely performance of the song by young Sam Gleaves on mountain dulcimer from the Hindman School in Eastern Kentucky.

Here’s our version of Jean’s original song “May Day Day” from 2005, performed live for the tribute show “Singing the Moon Up: The Voice of Jean Ritchie” featuring Peter Pickow on guitar.

MAY DAY DAY
By Jean Ritchie

Cold and dark the winter, in March it snows again,
Through the rains of April spring comes stealing in,
Smiling o’er the meadows in the rising light of day,
Beauty is reborn again every first of May.

For when I’m walkin’ with my darlin’ on a May Day Day,
Walkin’ with my darlin’ on a May Day Day,
Oh, there’s nothing much a-doin’ and little for to say,
But oh my heart is happy on a May Day Day!

Folks are cold and distant, the world’s about to freeze,
Never has the world known harder times than these.
Suffering world forgive me and grant me just a day,
I cannot help but hope again every first of May!

For when I’m walkin’ with my darlin’ on a May Day Day,
Walkin’ with my darlin’ on a May Day Day,
Oh, there’s nothing much a-doin’ and little for to say,
But oh my heart is happy on a May Day Day!

Here is Jean herself with the May Day Carol from her “Carols for All Seasons.”

As always, thanks for reading! 
Love and Blessings,

Susie

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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene.  LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.”  “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.”  As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia.  Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp.  She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie.  Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform.   www.susieglaze.com