Oxford celebrates a virtual May morning during lockdown

Normally, thousands would gather outside Magdalen College from 5am to hear the bells and choristers from the Great Tower.

However, due to the coronavirus lockdown, the college instead released a video at 6am this morning to celebrate the event.

Mark Blandford-Baker, home bursar at the college, praised the work of his colleague, Mark Williams, the college’s director of music.

Mr Blandford-Baker said: “Mark got the choir together and made this all work, huge numbers of people have watched the video online.”

There was also none of the normal Morris dancing and folk singing in the city centre, although the Eynsham Morris dancers celebrated whilst social distancing.

See also: Man in 60s knocked unconscious by dog walker

Toby Goss, secretary of the group, said: “We’re a very community minded group so we didn’t want lockdown to spoil that.

“A few of us wanted to do something to life the spirits of people and bring a bit of colour, noise and joy to people’s lives, and to keep the tradition alive too.

“May morning is a big event and the Morrisers are still here and we will be when this is all over.”

Horns of Plenty Oxford also failed to let the lockdown get in the way of some May Morning fun as they played ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ in over 100 sites across the city.

Picture: Esther Johnson

Jude Stratton, one of the band’s members, said: “We usually wait outside Queen’s College and entertain the crowds.

“We obviously couldn’t do that this year but as soon as it was cancelled, we came up with the idea of getting people out and joining together.

“I was out in Headington and I’ve been seeing videos of some of the group in the McDonald’s car park in Botley Road and in Marston too, pretty much everywhere really.”

Speaking about the choice of song, Ms Stratton said: “We’re a street band so we don’t usually play tunes that people know.

“Last year, the Magdalen choir sang ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ and during this crisis people have been putting rainbows up everywhere.

Read more: Costa is reopening an Oxfordshire store

“It’s been very uplifting and I’ve had lots of tweets saying that it’s made people’s day.”

Leigh Gooding, 51, was out at 6am like every other May Morning.

However, for Mr Gooding, who works in hospitality, this year was very much different.

“Usually I’m woken up by revellers at half five, and I get up and pop down, it’s one of the Oxford traditions,” he said.

“Normally you can’t get anywhere the bridge but his year was the complete opposite.

“I saw two people at the bridge and that was it.

“I went down and listened to the bells ring and then the silence was deafening with no choir.

“This year it was bright and clear too, compared to the usual May Morning weather.”

Oxford city councillor Mary Clarkson, cabinet member for city centre, covered market and culture, said: “I am delighted at the success of the virtual May Morning.

“It is wonderful that we are able to continue traditions such as May Morning during the coronavirus pandemic, whilst also ensuring that everyone is safe and following social distancing measures.”