Nan Merriman sings Bring Flowers of the Fairest

Here is rare video footage of the late great American mezzo-soprano Nan Merriman (1920-2012) singing an old traditional Catholic hymn to the Blessed Virgin. The tradition in the United States and many other countries has been for school children to have a "May Crowning" ceremony, with a procession, pretty dresses and a wreath of fresh flowers that one child gets to place on the statue of Mary. "Bring Flowers of the Rarest" appears to have been written by Mary E. Walsh and published in 1871. "Bring flow'rs of the fairest, Bring flow'rs of the rarest, From garden and woodland And hillside and vale; Our full hearts are swelling, Our Glad voices telling The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale. O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May, O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May. Our voices ascending, In harmony blending, Oh! Thus may our hearts turn Dear Mother, to thee; Oh! Thus shall we prove thee How truly we love thee, How dark without Mary Life's journey would be. O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May, O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May." A link to my Nan Merriman playlist: /playlist/PLD888ECA1D5184E75&feature=plcp Nan Merriman was a favorite singer of Toscanini and conductors around the world. A devout Catholic, she appeared with many other celebrities in several radio and television religious dramas. Her singing of the traditional Christmas hymn "Adeste, Fideles" (Oh Come All Ye Faithful) appeared in a similar program on radio and may be found among the playlist linked above.

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