MUSIC
H aving attended the College from the tender age of 15 months old, I have been able to make full use of all the tremendous musical opportunities it has to offer – but none more so than singing. I began taking singing lessons with Mrs Medland at the age of six whilst at DUCKS and it is very much thanks to her that I even started singing in the first place. I have fond memories of my time studying with her and thoroughly enjoyed taking part in all the school plays during my time there. My very first concert after joining DC took place in the prestigious Fairfield Halls in 2007 singing Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Madrigal Choir, and since then I have been unable to cease becoming involved with all things musical at Dulwich. I had five wonderful years in the Chapel Choir and I continued my singing endeavours after my voice broke. I now have a tenor voice and have embarked on the lengthy journey to becoming a professional opera singer. Singing lies at the heart of Dulwich’s music department and there has been increasing involvement in recent years in close harmony groups such as ‘Alleynian Blues’, ‘Black ‘n’ Blues’, and now ‘Light Blues’, who all perform numerous times throughout the academic year. We even have our very own boy-run group, ‘Original Copy’, which has performed in a number of fantastic gigs already. Furthermore, the standard of singing in competitions such as House Music, House Electric, and House Part-Song has risen markedly over the past few years and these events have proven to be arguably the most entertaining of all the competitions. Some boys, such as myself, have gone to huge lengths to ensure victory. I dressed up in a leather jacket and dark glasses and danced around the room as a tribute
Samuel Stopford in character
Be prepared to do what others are too afraid to dream of doing
to George Michael in House Electric; I even jumped off the stage during House Music (not for the first time either). This is what performing is all about: you cannot be concerned about what people may think of you. Be prepared to do what others are too afraid to dream of doing. Performing is my life – it is what I was built to do. I have been incredibly lucky to have performed in stunning venues all around the globe, in places such as the Shanghai Symphony Hall singing with the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra, as well as packed auditoriums in both France and the United States. Whether it is in school singing a tribute to George Michael in House Electric or a 9,000-seat stadium in Shanghai singing opera while being live streamed to 150,000 people around the world, I love every single second of being on that stage. I am fortunate enough to have been offered an Early-Action placement to Princeton University, a feat I am absolutely astonished to have achieved. Singing played a major role in both my application and admittance to Princeton and I cannot wait to begin my new venture across the pond at one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. I shall definitely continue my involvement in music there and hope someday to return to Dulwich as a well accomplished tenor.
LEATHER JACKET NOT REQUIRED
Samuel Stopford ıt}Çòôlj ÇǠ ¯ÐË»¶}˪¶£ª¶£}ÇÇ }ÐШ»¯¯£Ð¨}Ш}ËÇ}¶£ ¢Ç»µÅÇ¢»Çµª¶£ÝªÐ¨Ð¨ C}Ǫ£}¯¨»ªÇлªµÅÇË»¶}Ъ¶£ +»Ç£Cª¨}¯
129
Made with FlippingBook Online document