Music

As an academic subject, Music seeks to engage students in performance, composition, and listening and appraising skills. 

A broad and comprehensive programme of musical experience is offered and class lessons in Years 7-9 include a wide range of activity-based projects featuring both traditional musical study and skill-based training in score writing and sequencing using Dorico and Logic Pro. In Years 10-13 boys may take Edexcel GCSE and A level courses and these provide the opportunity for advanced study, acting as a preparation for higher education. Edexcel set works, which encompass a wide variety of musical styles, enable boys to discover who wrote what, for whom, and why. As part of the A level, students can study the Remix option and receive specialist Music Technology teaching at the College.

In support of these courses there are regular academic seminars given by eminent musicologists and use is made of the College’s unique archive of books and eighteenth-century music manuscripts. In addition, there are opera trips and concert visits during the academic year. Performance skills are nurtured by a wide range of co-curricular ensembles and by masterclasses with professional players. 

The extensive academic teaching programme is supported by our Visiting Composer Cecilia McDowall, and our Music Technologist, Isa Khan, who both provide one-to-one composition supervision for our GCSE and A level students. 

Many students continue to study Music beyond Dulwich at a variety of prestigious universities and conservatoires. Recent destinations have included the Music and Sound Recording degree (Tonmeister) at the University of Surrey as well as the Universities of Oxford, Manchester and Royal Holloway. Conservatoire destinations have included the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Welsh College of Music.