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Diss Grammar School

Formerly — The Old Dyssean Society's Website
www.old-dyssean-society.org

The society is no longer in existence but this website
is allied to the Diss Grammar School Facebook group.
  

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School – Song        

The School Song, The Dysssean by Clifton Day ca. 1908:
this makes reference to the land benfactor Francis Taylor and the year 1908, more of this see the history page.

Music
Here's what we believe to be the old tune,
it may need some slight tinkering to get it right,
help required all you can ODs who can remember it.

You can see it below, you can hear below.



The music for the school song has not yet been found but Kath Bass (nee Pipe DSS 1941-47) put me in contact wih Brian Harvey (DSS 1943-48) who sang it to me over a telephone line and I recorded it.  

Pauline Ridel
(nee Rush DGS 1963-70) transcribed Brian's voice into hand-written manuscript and using Mozart software printed the sheet music and recording below.

Christian Sauvage has added chords and played it, all I need to do now is get a whole school or choir to sing it.
 


Ver: Draft 003 (2019-03-20).

The Dyssean song


 
The Dyssean lrics


Listen here: first verse and chorus only (45 secs).

 


Listen to Brian singing it (28 secs).

A great many thanks to Brian who at 80 years
old sang this to me over the telephone.

The Dyssean


"The Dyssean"


In many towns a school there is,
This year of grace nineteen-nought-eight.
No place of learning is in Diss,
Bewailed the citizens their fate.

Chorus:
Boy prove to be a man,
Maiden help all you can,
Co-mate in our great plan,
Thou art a Dyssean.

Their leaders made to put this right,
Said Francis Taylor never fear,
A school shall be, I'll give the site,
On yonder height above the Mere.

We boast not of a long tradition,
Of pious founders ages gone,
Time's scroll will show our true position,
As fast the fleeting years roll on.

Thus every thought and word and deed,
Are links in an unbroken chain,
See that your link in time of need,
Well made will nobly stand the strain.


Clifton Day.




The song had died out by the late 1950s, maybe because
the chorus had become a ribald byword in the school and
there was too much co-mating going on.

Thanks to Basil Abbott and the Diss Museum.



Diss Museum.
If you live in or near Diss you ought to visit the Diss Museum on a regular basis, it's quite a small building so displays are often changed.  If you are just visiting Diss then put time aside for the museum.   You never know what you might see in there.  Go on give ot a look!

'Discover How Good It Is?'

Diss Museum
Diss Museum, Market Place — right in the Town Centre.
 


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"Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini"
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