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.
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).
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
Piano: first
verse and chorus only (45 secs).
"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, Market Place — right in the Town Centre.
