It’s the first of May and the one tune I just have to hear today is Maj vare välkommen by Ranarim. (Welcome Sweet May). The harmony singing of Ulrika Bodén and Sofia Sandén is exquisite. It was written in 1870 and it has become one of several songs which are traditionally sung round the bonfire on 30th April in Sweden to welcome the arrival of spring.
Yesterday evening, there were bonfires all over the country and large groups of people gathered to celebrate the end of winter by choral singing and getting rat-arsed. April 2024 here was meteorologically very schizophrenic with constant temperature oscillations, so the arrival of some warm weather was very welcome.
Today is a national holiday and there will be many political marches and singing of another slightly older song that you’ll all know: The Red Flag. The lyrics were written in 1899 by Irishman Jim Connell and it’s usually sung to the German tune O Tannenbaum. Unless you’re Billy Bragg who went for the traditional “White Cockade” melody when he recorded with Dick Gaughan.
So which song would I be most likely to hear in the UK as choristers, folk clubs, buskers etc welcomed the » Continue Reading.