The Boys' School Song
Old boys will remember the School Song, always sung in Latin, with its rousing chorus begining 'Io, Selhurst!'. You will find below the Latin words, an English Translation, and a links to a score and to 1960s recordings of the School Song and of the Nunc dimittis. You will also find a new 2019 arrangement by Old Boy Mike Roberts (1956-63) and a recording by his choir in Canada.
'Selhurst' is a contraction of selly hurst in Middle English, meaning 'happy wood', which in Latin is silva felix. You will also note the repetition of the old school motto in the third verse: Semper recordemur, semper recordemur.
All together, now .....
THE LATIN VERSION
"IO, SELHURST!"
J A Wright
C W Scott
1. Felix ubi nemorum, saltus arridebat,
Schola nostra condita, genio sit praedita,
Tum qui praesidebat, tum qui praesidebat,
Io Selhurst, silva felix,
Io Selhurst, cara nutrix,
Viget, vigeat, vigebit.
2. Cara nutrix, ardui nihil, te iuvante,
Nobis nec molestia ulla sint proposita,
Te auxiliante, te auxiliante.
Io Selhurst, silva felix,
Io Selhurst, cara nutrix,
Viget, vigeat, vigebit.
3. Cum praetextis positis lucta exercemur,
Almae Matri debita quae ab illa habita,
Semper recordemur, semper recordemur.
Io Selhurst, silva felix,
Io Selhurst, cara nutrix,
Viget, vigeat, vigebit.
4. Laus sit senioribus qui et adspexerunt
Mortem, et qui vulnera, pugnantes pro Patria,
Laeti acceperunt, laeti acceperunt.
Io Selhurst, silva felix,
Io Selhurst, cara nutrix,
Viget, vigeat, vigebit.
THE ENGLISH VERSION
"HAIL, SELHURST!"
J A Wright
C W Scott
1. Where a smiling woodland lay, fortune’s happy bower,
There our school stands forth in grace,
May the genius of the place
Guard us with her power, guard us with her power.
Hail Selhurst, woodland fair,
Hail to Selhurst’s fost’ring care
May she flourish now and ever.
2. Under thy beloved care, in our task persisting,
Be the prospect dull or bright,
Ev’ry burden a delight
To us, you assisting; to us, you assisting.
Hail Selhurst, woodland fair,
Hail to Selhurst’s fost’ring care
May she flourish now and ever.
3. When the garb of youth is shed, to the struggle bending,
Let remembrance turn to you,
Almae Matri, what is due
To your careful tending, to your careful tending.
Hail Selhurst, woodland fair,
Hail to Selhurst’s fost’ring care
May she flourish now and ever.
4. Let us praise our noble dead – When our country beckoned,
Gladly without scruple nice,
Gave their lives, a sacrifice,
Nor the loss e’er reckoned, nor the loss e’er reckoned
Hail Selhurst, woodland fair,
Hail to Selhurst’s fost’ring care
May she flourish now and ever.
A recording of the School Song can be found here, together with a recording of the Nunc dimittis arranged by Mr Scott. The score for that recording of the School Song is here. These two recordings were made in about 1960. (The audio file shows the recording date as 01/01/1995 but that relates to the nominal date of the digitisation of the file.)
Mike Roberts (1956-63), whose reminiscences of Selhurst and beyond can be found here, has made a new 2019 arrangement of the School song. The score can be found here and a recording of his arrangement with his choir can be accessed here. Many thanks to Mike for getting in touch from Canada and for his work on the Boys' School Song.