Now I don't remember singing this myself, but I am very grateful to Malcolm Webber for sending it to me. Malcolm was also good enough to forward the midi file that should be playing in the background shortly. Cheers mate. Malcolm remembers it being sung on "odd" occasions, which - as he points out - is just as well, because it is an "odd" song! All together now...

"When down the swift tide of life we are gliding,
Days of our childhood left far behind,
Oft in fond mem'ry, rises a picture,
Calling thoughts joyful and sad to the mind.
What strikes the chords of so sweet recollection?
Sports field and classroom, the disciplined rule -
Triumphs and failures, companions so faithful?
Scene of life's springtime - the School!

        So in chorus old and young,
        Cheerily sing, let it ring!
        Comrades faithful, true and strong,
        Let it rise to the skies!
        Staunch in fair and stormy weather,
        Join with heart and voice together.
        Side by side, companions ever,
    To the end.

Where once a bishop, storm-tossed on the ocean,
Sought peace and rest on Alwara's shore,
By the historic waters of Solent,
Rises our School - may it flourish e'er more!
Long through the years will its praises be sounded,
If past and present, we make it our rule,
Whether in work or in pastime the contest,
Ever to strive for - the School!

Then when our school days are o'er, and reluctant
Leave we at last its sheltering care,
Shaping our course by worthy traditions,
Calmy good fortune or evil we bear,
And in the struggle for fame and position,
With heart undaunted and courage e'er cool,
Playing the game we will put into practice
Lessons we learnt at - the School"

There is always scope for imagination at school, of course, and I am grateful to Cliff Roffey and Audrey Martin  for these alternative words. Can anyone complete the rest of the verses ???

"When down the school banisters we are sliding
Seats of our trousers left far behind
Oft in memory rises a splinter
calling thoughts painful and sad to the mind
Who is it waits at the bottom to catch you
Tells you you've broken the discipline rule?
One of the prefects - companions so faithful-
Inhabitants of the school." 

Chris Lumb has been doing a bit of research on the history of the song, and he writes;
"The School Song was definitely going strong well before I arrived at the school in 1951.  I have a copy of the music sheet in front of me.  This shows that the music of the song was written by Ernest Douglass, FRCO, and the words by S H Barker, B.Litt.  The song was dedicated to the First Headmaster, Leslie C Keating, MA, and the music was actually published by Novello & Company, London.  BUT, sadly, there is no date on it.
 As it was dedicated to Leslie Keating, it was presumably written after he departed the school and Alan Walker was appointed, which according to Lesley Burton's book was in 1937.  A contributor to Lesley's book - Barbara Davidson (nee Warner) (see pp 49/50/51), who was at the school from 1932 to 1940, refers to the singing of the school song at the end of Annual Prizegivings in the Old Thorngate Hall.  This hall, which was next to the old Town Hall (my father worked there) was burned down after being hit by a bomb in the 2nd World War, so the School Song MUST have been written before the beginning of the war.  My guess is 1938 - after Leslie Keating left but before the Old Thorngate Hall was bombed!
Another contributor refers to S H Barker as the Senior English Master, and Ernest Douglass as the Music Master.
 Yet another clue as to the age of the song is that the version printed in Lesley Burton's book is headed "Gosport and Alverstoke Secondary School Song", rather than the wording "Gosport (County) School Song" which is at the head of my copy!  This would indicate that the song was in existence before the name of the school changed".
 

I am extremely grateful to Nigel Smith for sending me a tape of the school song being sung by the Hampshire Police Choir at the "Rhythm of life" concert held at the school in May 2001, in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Nigel was the pianist, and you can download the 'zip' file to hear it for yourself . The file size is 4 Mb, so pop the kettle on whilst you're waiting!