The more accomplished drummers then went on to have a one-to-one session with Mr Hayward, who gave us val- uable drumming tips and rudiments to practise. It was an excellent masterclass which I really enjoyed.
Our adjudicator, Imogen Whitehead – Principal Trumpet of Britten Sinfonia and recently heard on the soundtracks of the films Saltburn and Maestro – said: ‘I am so im- pressed with the level and number of brass players – they all played so well. She also praised the ‘culture of great playing and beautiful tone’ at Dulwich College, saying she was ‘pretty blown away by it’. Following the adjudication and results, Imogen delighted the gathered brass players with a solo rendition of Ger- shwin’s ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ on her flugelhorn before joining the DC Brass Band in a dazzling perfor- mance of John Williams’ music from the soundtrack of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . RESULTS
BRASS WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS ROBIN SMITH, HEAD OF BRASS
There are two kinds of contest for brass players at the College, both differing in tone and feel from the standard music competition, and both having a technical aspect of brass performance in mind, yet put into a competitive arena. In the Summer term students can be heard huffing and puffing, getting ready for the Dulwich College Brass Ultimate Long Note Championship (DCBULNC). Held annually since 2008, the competition has previously seen a student (Toby Wells OA) smash the world record of 1 minute 13 seconds. In 2023 Tom Hornby (Year 13) took home the first prize, and the engraved championship tankard, with an impressive time of 52.69 seconds. This competition promotes preparation and management of airflow, which is vital for a controlled performance on a brass instrument. RESULTS SENIORS: 1st Tom Hornby (Year 13), 52.69 seconds 2nd Marco Wong (Year 13), 50.93 seconds 3rd Alasdair Mackintosh (Year 11), 41.00 seconds JUNIORS: 1st Charlie Fletcher (Year 7), 29.91 seconds 2nd Albi Beckett-Aller (Year 5), 20.20 seconds 3rd Hugo Hogg (Year 5), 20.13 seconds In February this year, the Dulwich College brass players gathered in the Auditorium for the bi-annual Brass Slow Song Competition. All contestants had prepared six sim- ple melodies, such as ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Jerusalem’. At a roll of a huge die, a tune was selected for the competitor, which they then performed in their most lyrical way. This particular competition promotes thoughtful projection of performance and communication of musical emotions. These skills are more obvious in a simple melody when the ‘higher, faster, louder’ mentality is stripped away.
1st Tom Hornby (Year 13, trombone) 2nd Perkyns Ho (Year 11, French horn) 3rd Ollie Scully (Year 11, tuba)
Commendations: Charlie Fletcher (Year 7, trumpet), Sebastian Hoo (Year 8, trumpet) and Aadi Jain (Year 6, euphonium) THE BRILLIANCE OF BACH LESLEY LARKUM AND RICHARD MAYO All those who crowded into the Old Library last September for the 23rd Thwaites Bach Competition were treated to what has become a very special event in the Dulwich College music calendar, report Lesley Larkum and Richard Mayo.
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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