Crowning Speeches
Then there was May Day. On the first day of May, Mary Willie, Seny Sorensen and a crowd of girls walked out to Clayton to gather flowers. They voted Seny Sorensen to be Queen and had a wonderful time. They have always celebrated that day as May Day ever since!
When you think that it was not until 1964 that the music was first combined with the words and the notes put down to the May Day songs, that you realize — that oral traditions have played an important role in Mendon’s May Day. Nancy H. Ladle, Mozelle B. Sorensen and Norma B. Myers it would seem, have between them played the May Day songs all 158 plus years of the celebration, well almost. These three women accompanist are all that most of us, except perhaps the very oldest resident of the community, can remember. This celebration has survived and thrived with an oral transfer of the information required to stage the springtime production. Through it all, Mendon May Day has remained remarkable stable over the years, May Day has adapted as needed to fit with the times without loosing what its earliest traditions are all about, the communities youth.
Crowning Speech ~ "A"
Kind friends, we have met this lovely day,
To welcome again the spring.
The birds are singing a joyous lay,
and trees their fragrance bring.
Nature has on her robe of green,
She smiles all through the day.
The pretty blossoms with the buds between,
Now blush in their old fashioned way.
The fairies are calling for someone to reign,
Over all this springtime array.
So now we must hasten our laurels to gain,
And crown _______ our Queen of the May.
Crowning Speech ~ "B"
The glorious springtime now is here,
The gayest season of all the year.
Nature has risen from her silent tomb,
Zephyr is feasting on flower and bloom.
Nightshades have donned their bonnets of blue,
Violets display their bright colors, too.
Let us admit the sylvan scene,
We crown ______ our May Day Queen.
These two crowning speeches have been used since the late 1930’s. Written by then Bishop, Henry C. Sorensen they have served all who have had the privilege to crowned a queen since this time. The choice of which speech to use is left up to the queen and or her consort. Memorization has always been encouraged, but not always practiced. Some interesting variations have been noted over the years, I crown you Queen of May.
in 1976 by Bruce Anderson, being among them. Prior to this time, the consorts were able to write a speech of their choice, I am unsure if the Bishop inserted these two to help the young men, or to reign in a speech or two that were not what the town thought it should have been. Either way it just adds to the fun and the history of the May Day tradition.
Update: During the program at the church after the 2006 crowing of the queen and maypole dance ~ Bruce Anderson, was the featured speaker. As part of his talk, he asked for Jenae Baker Jepsen, Mendon’s May Queen for 1976, whom for all these years has had to endure ~ well endure what Bruce had done to her so long ago, to please come forward. A chair was provided and a crown of fresh flowers appeared. With Janae holding the Q-Cards for Bruce and the audience rolling with laughter, the error of so long ago, thirty years to the day, was finally done correctly. So much to everyones delight. There is no escape from May Day fever, some cases just take a little longer to set in. Thank you Bruce Anderson for righting your wrong, thank you Jenae for being such a good sport and a lovely queen of Mendon’s May Day.
In 2018 the May Day Committee decided to do something different, very different. They are going to let the Consort compose a crowning speech, of his own. This will mark the first time in anyones living memory, that the old standards A
or B,
have not been used. Before Henry C. Sorensen was bishop, the consort would or could compose his own speech, I think it a good thing and perhaps a very welcome one as well.