The Music Department offers one to one tuition on a wide variety of orchestral and keyboard, jazz, pop and modern instruments, as well as singing lessons. These are delivered by a team of Visiting Music Teachers, who are all highly respected professionals in the thriving London music scene. Our Heads of Faculty can provide more information on our instrumental and singing provision.
The Strings Faculty aims to develop playing and performance skills at all levels throughout the College. We encourage all pupils to engage with others by participating in the numerous orchestras and ensembles on offer, as well as providing the environment and resources to realise their full potential.
For our beginner and early years players, we have a Year 2 String Orchestra at DUCKS and a bespoke Year 3 Strings Scheme, specialising in the Colourstrings methodology. This provides every pupil in the Junior School with the opportunity to learn the violin, viola, cello or double bass.
Our more advanced string players play a fundamental role in the College’s chamber music programme. There is an annual Junior Strings Festival, and a bi-annual Senior Strings Competition.
Around 170 boys receive Woodwind or Percussion lessons at the College, studying a wide range of music. There is a vibrant Jazz scene, where pupils also have the opportunity to improvise in individual and group settings. All students have the opportunity to perform as soloists and in ensembles at major concerts halls in London, Jazz Clubs, assemblies and lunchtime concerts. Our Year 4 Scheme offers an opportunity for every pupil in the Junior School to learn a Woodwind or Brass instrument.
We hold a bi-annual Woodwind Competition and an annual Drum Rudiment Competition which includes the World’s Fastest Drummer (in Dulwich!). Previous adjudicators have included Sarah Field, Rob Farrer and Michael Simmonds (OA), and we have been fortunate to welcome Sir Mark Knopfler and Flavio Li Vigni for recent masterclasses.
A number of boys have won places in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.
The College’s Brass Faculty aims to foster a tradition of classic brass ensemble performance as well as contemporary and jazz. There are numerous ensembles for brass players of all levels. Our Year 4 Scheme offers an opportunity for every pupil in the Junior School to learn a Woodwind or Brass instrument.
We hold an annual Long Note Competition in the summer term and a bi-annual Slow Song Competition in the tradition of Brass Band performance. There are frequent performance opportunities within a chamber setting and concertos with the College orchestras.
Recent masterclasses have included the all-female trombone ensemble “Bones Apart” and the legendary trumpet virtuoso Crispian Steele-Perkins.
Dulwich has a thriving Keyboard Faculty with over 250 boys receiving lessons at the College or externally, many attending the Junior Departments of the major London Conservatoires.
Pianists perform in numerous events including Piano Platforms, the Piano Festival, assemblies, and lunchtime concerts. We hold an annual Piano Competition, adjudicated by distinguished musicians such as Elizabeth Hayes, Daniel Browell, Anthony Williams and Samantha Ward. The annual Timothy Barratt Prize for Song Pianists is awarded for the best student accompanist in the Singing Competition.
Recent masterclasses have been given by renowned pianists and professors such as Vanessa Latarche, Gary Matthewman and Patsy Toh. Eminent pianist and pedagogist Professor Gordon Fergus-Thompson will be the College’s Visiting Professor of Piano in 2022-23. Our most advanced pianists play a central part in our Chamber Music programme and there may be opportunities to perform concerti with orchestras.
There are over 30 high quality pianos and 2 organs on campus. We have a beautiful Steinway Model B in the Old Library and a Bosendorfer Imperial in the Great Hall.
Singing enjoys a high profile within the College from DUCKS upwards. The Singing Faculty is responsible for the training of the Chapel Choir scholars, and any boy wishing to develop their voice in any medium of music. There is a strong choral tradition at the College, running several choirs and close harmony ensembles.
Recent adjudicators for the annual Singing Competition include Nick Sears OA, Robin Blaze and Kate Royal and singers have also enjoyed masterclasses from Toby Spence and Susan Bullock. The College has strong links with professional close harmony and singing groups receiving annual visits from members of the Swingle Singers, the King’s Singers and the London Community Gospel Choir.
Dulwich pupils have performed solo and chorus roles for The Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Our singers often win places in the National Youth Choir, choral scholarships at Oxbridge Colleges and Universities, or go on to study at music conservatoires.
Music Technology plays an important role in preparing students for life as a musician in the 21st Century. In the classroom, boys learn to use specialised software such as Sibelius Ultimate and Logic Pro X, through a variety of projects in our two Mac suites. As a co-curricular activity, there are 3 electronic music production clubs per week open to all ages in which students explore all aspects of music recording and production.
We offer hands-on experience for the Upper School boys through courses in Live Sound Engineering and Classical Recording & Production. We also support the development of our ensembles as they experience the complexities of live recording sessions. As well as completing work experience at various professional studios in the UK, students have received offers for the Tonmeister course at Surrey University, York and Edinburgh to pursue careers in music production and recording.
