The School Song: Principum – Hard or Soft C? Dear Sirs,
My mind and heart drifted back six decades as I heard Pueri Alleynienses .
I remember learning the words by listening; there seemed to be no printed sheet handed out in Year 1 (of the Senior School).
My Latin Master around Year 5 was Mr Tredgold – a fear-inspiring man who would not tolerate slackness. He would jump on us if we dared mispronounce a Latin word. Yet here, in line 2, Fertur principum memoria , I hear the c in principum pronounced as an s. The Classical pronunciation of c is as a k . Ecclesiastical pronunciation may be a ch sound if preceding an i , as here. But according to several references, it is never pronounced as an s . May I humbly suggest that any future renditions of this song be with the Classical pronunciation?
Sincerely,
Tony Voysey (53–60)
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