A detailed depiction of the annual May Day choir performance at Magdalen College, Oxford, rendered with the precision of the Pre-Raphaelite style.

William Holman Hunt began this ambitious composition in 1888, capturing the annual May Day tradition at Magdalen College, Oxford. The painting depicts the college choir singing the Hymnus Eucharisticus from the top of the tower at sunrise. Hunt, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, applied his characteristic attention to detail and luminosity to the scene. He spent several years refining the work, often returning to the site to ensure the atmospheric conditions and the architectural features of the tower were rendered with precision.

The composition is crowded with figures, including choristers, clergy, and local observers. The white surplices of the choir members catch the early morning light, creating a contrast against the stone masonry of the tower. Hunt included specific portraits of individuals known to him, adding a layer of personal documentation to the ceremonial event. The foreground features a basket of flowers, a nod to the spring season and the traditional festivities associated with the day. The sky is filled with birds in flight, suggesting the height of the vantage point and the expansive view over the city of Oxford.

Technically, the work displays the high-chroma palette and sharp focus that defined Hunt's later career. He utilised a meticulous layering technique to achieve the clarity of the figures and the textures of the fabric. The painting remains a significant record of late-Victorian academic life and the persistence of local customs. It reflects the artist's desire to combine religious devotion with the observation of contemporary life, a theme that occupied him throughout his career. The scale of the canvas allows for a dense arrangement of figures, yet each face retains a distinct character, demonstrating Hunt's skill in portraiture within a larger narrative framework.