COMPETITION WINNER with his composition Nocturnal Dances
Samuel Thackray (21) is a London-based composer, trumpeter and recent music graduate, having studied at Cambridge University from 2021 to 2024. He has loved composing for as long as he can remember and started learning the trumpet aged seven. Whilst most of his performing and composing experience has been with classical, jazz or choral ensembles, he enjoyed conducting Cambridge University Brass Band’s premiere of his piece Emergence at Unibrass 2024, winning the in-contest Best Student Composition award. Since returning to London, he has enjoyed playing for numerous ensembles such as the City of London Symphonic Winds, Royal Orchestral Society and North London Youth Orchestra.
Sam’s composition Noctural Dances started life as a collection of energetic yet slightly eerie dance-like ideas, representing a kaleidoscope of imagined scenes in a nocturnal cityscape. He uses an unusual structure, with the most energetic writing gradually subsiding as the stillness of night slowly takes over. The piece became more and more of an abstraction of these ideas as he continued writing, although there is still a hint of car horns and the bustle of noisy crowds in some sections. The final bars end with shimmering cornets and glockenspiel… a last glimmer of light.
Find out more about Samuel and his work on his Instagram channel.
