Editing Winchester College (section)

=== ''Domum'': the school song ===
{{Distinguish|Dulce Domum}}
[[File:Winchester College River Itchen, playing fields, Science School.jpg|thumb|It is said that the pupil who wrote "Domum" threw himself into the River Itchen, which runs through the school grounds. |alt=Photograph of a river in front of wide playing fields and distant buildings]]

The school song is entitled "Domum" and is sung at the end of the summer term, known as Cloister Time. The origin of the song is unknown; it was described as "an old tradition" in the 1773 ''History and Antiquities of Winchester''.<ref name="Adams1878">{{harvnb|Adams|1878|pp=407–}}</ref><!-- It is mentioned in ''[[Tom Brown's School Days]]''. Paradoxically, although the subject of the song is the joy of breaking from the school grind and returning home for the holidays, it is often taken as symbolising the idyllic, nostalgic view of English [[public school (England)|public school]] life in the 19th century.--> 
The traditional tune was composed by [[John Reading (composer and organist)|John Reading]].<ref name=Minstrel>{{cite book |title=The British Minstrel, and Musical and Literary Miscellany: A Selection of Standard Music, Songs, Duets, Glees, Choruses, Etc. and Articles in Musical and General Literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RO4sAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA131 |year=1843 |publisher=W. Hamilton |pages=131–}}</ref><ref name=Walcott>{{cite book |title=William of Wykeham and his Colleges |url=https://archive.org/details/williamofwykeham00walcuoft/page/n504/mode/1up |year=1852 |publisher=D. Nutt |page=i}}</ref> A new tune, by [[Malcolm Archer]], was officially adopted by the school in about 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winchester College - The School Song: Domum |website=www.winchestercollege.org |access-date=2 May 2018 |url=http://www.winchestercollege.org/domum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930130040/http://www.winchestercollege.org/domum |archive-date=30 September 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

According to legend, the text was written in the 17th century by a pupil who was confined for misconduct during the [[Whitsun]] holidays.<ref>''The Gentleman's Magazine'', 1796, vol. 66, pp. 208–210.</ref> (In one account, he was tied to a pillar.) It is said that he carved the words on the bark of a tree, which was thereafter called "Domum Tree", and cast himself into Logie (the river running through the school grounds).<ref name="Adams1878"/><ref>[[Charles Dickens]], ''All the Year Round'' 29 June 1872 p 160.</ref> There is still a "Domum Cottage" in that area. The author of the text apparently wrongly treated ''domum'' as a neuter noun.<ref>Robert Townsend Warner, ''Winchester'' (1900) p 168.</ref>

A "Domum Dinner" is held at the end of the summer term for leavers. It was formerly restricted to those former scholars of Winchester who were also scholars of New College, and distinguished guests. Until the reforms of the 19th century, there were three successive Election Dinners held during Election Week, culminating in a Domum Ball. Originally these festivities occurred around Whitsun, as suggested by references in the song to early summer such as "See the year, the meadow, smiling" and "Now the swallow seeks her dwelling".<ref name=Minstrel/>