By Sheila O’Kelly
Every year in Ireland May 1st is marked on various radio stations with the beautiful and popular hymn ‘Bring Flowers of the Rarest’ also known as ‘Queen of the May’ sung by Canon Sydney MacEwan. It is believed the hymn was composed by Mary E Walsh who was a pupil of the Sisters of Notre Dame.
Bring Flowers of the Rarest
Bring Blossoms the Fairest
From Garden and Woodland
And Hillside and Dale….
Chorus:
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May
Sydney Alfred MacEwan, a scottish tenor was born on the 19th October 1908 in the Springburn area of Glasgow. His Irish mother was from Portadown, County Armagh and his father was from Partick in Scotland.
Despite their poor circumstances, his mother managed to pay for music lessons for Sydney and his brother. Both sons won scholarships to good schools.