Residents of the central Bosnian town of Zenica woke up on Wednesday to the tunes performed by Zenica Ironworks Orchestra, which took to the streets early morning to mark the beginning of Labour Day.

Years ago, they used to play while walking the streets of their town but now after many new neighbourhoods were built the orchestra members sit on a lorry, which carries them around Zenica while they play the May Day reveille.

Citizens approach them on the way, handing over small gifts. It is usually a bottle of wine or schnapps.

The oldest amateur musician in the orchestra is 79-year-old Ljubomir Kelava. He's been playing the reveille for 61 May Days.

“The orchestra was created by those who started building the Ironworks, during the Austro-Hungarian era. Those were Czechs, Poles, Germans, and I am of the generation of those who first started playing in this orchestra,” said Kelava.

There used to be the years when snow was falling on the first days of May, he recalled. However, it never prevented him and his colleagues from playing their part.

Although the orchestra counts fewer members every year, there are still those who don't mind waking up at 4 a.m. to wake their fellow citizens up on May 1.

The Ironworks Zenica Orchestra was assembled in 1926. Since then, they never came apart nor stopped their work, even during World War II. It is one of the oldest amateur orchestras in Bosnia and Herzegovina.