Wigan Album
Up Holland Grammar School
11 Comments
Photo: Anthony Berry
Item #: 18379
Does it bring back memories for anyone else?
Better still, has a copy of the original version survived?
The music was written specially for the school over a 100 years ago by Joseph H.Aldred, a visiting teacher of music and piano. Mr Aldred was also organist and choirmaster at St. John's C of E church, Pemberton.
The words are from a poem by Sir Henry Newbolt who was a relative of the author Bernard Holland who in turn was descended from the ancient de Holland family of Upholland. The de Hollands were well-known throughout England in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The old school song survived the move to the new school in Winstanley road in 1953 but was superseded by "Gaudeamus Igitur" in 1959 when Mr H.B.Ellis replaced Mr A.J.Maggs as headmaster.
Hello Anthony
Were you there from approximately 1948 to 1952??
I was at UGS from 1950 to 1957
My Dad used to recite this when I was a little girl, although he had nothing to do with Upholland. It carried on:
The sands of the desert grew sudden red,
Red with the wreck of a square that broke,
The Gatling's jammed and the colonel's dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed its banks,
But the voice of aschoolboy rallied the ranks,
"Play up, Play up, and play the game"
Hello Irene,
Are you the Irene Roberts who writes excellent articles in the "Past Forward" magazine?
Hello Tony. Yes, I used to write articles for Past Forward, and thankyou for the compliment of calling them "excellent".....what a lovely start to the day!
I remember Irene's articles. That was the heyday of Past Forward.Sadly it isn't what it was.
The song is a version of 'Vitai Lampada', a poem by Sir Henry Newbolt.
Can be found in many anthologies.
I was at UGS '56 to '63 and remember the change but always prefered this school song to the later one.Have seen the song and info about it on Google.Seem to recall that Mr. Maggs died soon after retiring.
Have just now seen this--it brings back many memories for me!-As did your post of our mutual Class Photo from 1951! I always think of it fondly and of Mr. Maggs requesting a rendition of "Cwm Rhondda" at a carol service one year!
Loads more old photos and memories of UpHolland Grammar on website - www.mugs61.co.uk
I too was there in the same years as Bill Kenyon. Mr Maggs died on 30th December, the day before his actual retirement. None of us liked the new school song introduced by Mr Ellis, indeed the first time it was sung the 4th, 5th and Upper 6Th bellowed the old one to honour dear old Mr Maggs.