School Song
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1. Anno Domini sixteen-six
As the tale was told to me, Is a solemn date for us to fix Deep in our memory; Sir William Paston, he up and said, ‘The Norfolk lads, I’m sore afraid, Have overmuch liberty. Come hither, Reverend Michael Tylles, And into their heads we’ll hammer Godly learning to guide their wills, Arithmetic, writing and grammar. Chorus: This was the Paston School; This the Paston School; And we shall see that this shall be Forever the Paston School. 2. ‘Where will you build your Paston School?’ The Reverend Michael spake; ‘Norfolk of pleasant towns is full; Which one will you take? Wy’ndham, or Hunst’on, Lynn or Diss, Fakenham, Walsingham, that or this, Tell me for goodness’ sake!’ ‘None of these,’ said the knight, said he, ‘Whatever the names one calls ’em, For the pleasantest town in the whole countie Is that pleasant old town, NORTH WALSHAM*. Here was… Here is… 3. And soon there came with a knock and a ring To be fashioned at learning’s forge A lad who witnessed when Charles was king The Plague and the Fiery Scourge; He built a school in London Town, Saw Monmouth snatch at England’s crown, And died under German George. And over the earth and over the sea He stretched his hand in benison, For he founded the wonderful SPG, The great Archbishop Tenison. Such was… Such is… |
4. ’Twere long to tell of all who came,
Of Wodehouse§, Wharton, Hoste, Their names are on the Roll of Fame, And never shall be lost; But stand and shout as the last we bring, Horatio Nelson, of him we sing, For he is our proudest boast. His eye was clear, his head was cool, His glory is our star, For what he learned at the Paston School He taught at Trafalgar. Such was… Such is… 5. As those who went before us strove To hold the banner high In peaceful academic grove Or fields where heroes die; Or in the common daily round, Unpraised, unsung, but haply crowned With immortality, So will we strive, so will we dare In all we say or do, From good to better everywhere, De mieux en mieux partout! This was… This is…(Rule Britannia) 6. Ah, never mind the dreary few Who groan and growl and sigh, And mutter, ‘There is naught to do, Tomorrow we must die.’ But work like Trojans, not for pelf, And play like Trojans, not for self, And keep your spirits high! Lend helping hands to those who bend Beneath misfortune’s rod, Honour the King, and love your friends, And give your hearts to God! This is the golden rule We learn at the Paston School, And whether we be on land or sea, Here’s luck to the Paston School! |
Concatenated and adopted for School singing - in BLUE
In verse 4, against the chorus should be sung ‘England expects that every man this day will do his duty, This day will do his duty’ from The Death of Nelson;
In verse 6, the chorus of Rule Britannia is sung (only by the seniors)
*proof that the town is properly called North Worlzum…
§ for Wodehouse, inventor of the differential calculus, see Forder (2nd ed) p 154.
Stephen Fry:
'Paston School lived up to all my prejudices, as things always will to the prejudiced. I did not take to the place one bit. I can remember barely anything about it, except that it was there that I started to smoke and there that I learned to play pinball: not within the school grounds, but within the town of North Walsham. For within a very short space of time I started to cut the school dead. I would get on the Cawston bus and dismount at either Aylsham or North Walsham and then head straight for a cafe and spend the day pinballing, listening to records by Slade, the Sweet, Wizzard, Suzi Quatro and smoking interminable Carlton Premiums, Number Sixes and Embassy Regals.
'Moab Is My Washpot' by Stephen Fry
In verse 4, against the chorus should be sung ‘England expects that every man this day will do his duty, This day will do his duty’ from The Death of Nelson;
In verse 6, the chorus of Rule Britannia is sung (only by the seniors)
*proof that the town is properly called North Worlzum…
§ for Wodehouse, inventor of the differential calculus, see Forder (2nd ed) p 154.
- Nick J Stone 2013
There's a verse missing. When I say missing, I mean "best avoided" it was cut due to the less than oblique references to colonialism in it. Really rather horrid ones from what I can remember. - Cam Self 2013
Rudyard Kipling's reputation has been dented by the colonialism problem too.
Stephen Fry:
'Paston School lived up to all my prejudices, as things always will to the prejudiced. I did not take to the place one bit. I can remember barely anything about it, except that it was there that I started to smoke and there that I learned to play pinball: not within the school grounds, but within the town of North Walsham. For within a very short space of time I started to cut the school dead. I would get on the Cawston bus and dismount at either Aylsham or North Walsham and then head straight for a cafe and spend the day pinballing, listening to records by Slade, the Sweet, Wizzard, Suzi Quatro and smoking interminable Carlton Premiums, Number Sixes and Embassy Regals.
'Moab Is My Washpot' by Stephen Fry