No one in the Lower or Middle Schools can be without his or her Prep Diary for very long. Ring bound A5 size books they contain the time table and a daily diaru in which preps are noted and from which they are ticked off. They don't quite serve the purpose of the termly Red Book known to older generations of Haileyburians, but now abolished. The red book had the class lists and the phone numbers of the Housemasters and other such information. Some of this is now printed in the first pages of the school calendar.
The Red Book also had the verses of the Vivat printed in the back. No one sings it any more at school - at least in England. In Kazakhstan it is very much alive.
For those who do not know it here are the words:
The Romans were a knowig race
Vivat Haileyburia!
They made a road down to this place
Vivat Haileyburia!
Romans came and passed away
Normans followed; where are they?
But we are here and here we stay!
Vivat Haileyburia!
Then shout five hundred voices all,
Vivat Haileyburia!
Our days of old we first recall,
Vivat Haileyburia!
But whatsoe'er their fame of yore
We've yet a mind to make it more
Our age of god still lies before
Vivat Haileyburia!
Then vivat, vivat round the board,
Vivat Haileyburia!
And yet once more with louder chord
Vivat Haileyburia!
For we've been boys and men together,
Have weilded bat and hunted leather,
When life was bliss in summer weather.
Vivat Haileyburia!
Then vivat, vivat round the board,
Vivat Haileyburia!
And yet once more with louder chord
Vivat Haileyburia!
For we've been boys and men together,
Have weilded bat and hunted leather,
When life was bliss in summer weather.
Vivat Haileyburia!
And sweet was then the victor's crown,
Vivat Haileyburia!
But friendship's joy struck deeper down,
Vivat Haileyburia!
And though our distant feet may roam
Our hearts will ne'er forget the home
The dear old school beneath the dome
Vivat Haileyburia!
Then close your ranks and lift your song,
Vivat Haileyburia!
That life is short, but love is long;
Vivat Haileyburia!
And all through life, where'ere we be,
School of our hearts we'll think of thee,
And drink the toast to three times three,
Vivat Haileyburia!
Thank you for posting this. I tried, a while back, unsuccessfully to find the verses to Vivat on Google. Pity that it's not sung at the school anymore!
ReplyDeleteDarwin Lau (Ha, 87)
We sing it in Haileybury Almaty everyday!
ReplyDeleteDaniyar Kuatbekov (Hailebury Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan, '08
We sing it, well some of it, at the masonic Lodge meeting
ReplyDeleteI happen to know that it gets a good run at the Sydney St George's lunch on (unsurprisingly) the 23rd of April every year. Very stirring it is too.
ReplyDeleteSo good to see the words of Vivat Haileyburia written
ReplyDeleteout in full. Happy memories. I recently met an old Haileyburian who,sadly,is in hospital with cancer. I will type out the words and let him have them,I feel sure he will be delighted. He was at Haileybury many years after me. I was there from 1945 to 1949 in Batten house. I boxed for the school then later fenced for the school team.
Vivian Rubin (Mr) Best wishes. I found you on Google.