Dave

Now in his fourth year reading Engineering Science at University College, David, who hails from Berkshire, has been conducting the Wind Orchestra since the start of Trinity Term 2006. Prior to taking up the OUWO baton, he had played Oboe in the orchestra under Sam Dwinell and Hugh Brunt.

David started conducting when he founded a Wind Dectet with fellow students at Univ in his first year; the following year, as President of University College Music Society, he directed the Univ Chorus and Univ Chamber Orchestra. These ensembles twice performed at the University Church, presenting Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Holst’s St Paul’s Suite and an arrangement of Dvorak’s Czech Suite in November 2005. The following March, also at the University Church, David directed the UCMS ensembles in performances of Britten’s St Nicolas with Philip Fine as Nicolas, Raff’s Sinfonietta, and Suite Antique by John Rutter with Charlotte Tu as the soloist.

David’s knowledge of the Wind Orchestra repertoire has largely been gathered from his time spent in the Concert Bands of Berkshire Young Musicians’ Trust. Since joining in 1997, he has played with three different Wind Bands and has enjoyed performing a wide variety of repertoire across the UK and the Continent, having toured the Czech Republic, Eastern Germany and Belgium.

The summer of 2006 saw David’s first tour as a conductor, when OUWO travelled to the South of France to perform at the Festival des Anches d’Azur in La Croix Valmer, close to St. Tropez. OUWO’s challenging choice of programme was remarked upon by many in France and the orchestra was commended on tackling (with success) such a varied and “academic” programme.