18 - Alumni Spotlight: André Flemmings
André Flemmings, Class of 2002 André joined Trinity as a J-Bug in 1994 and, in his first year, became part of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
performing at the London Coliseum and the Ravenna Festival in Italy. He was made Head Chorister by the departing David Squibb in 2001, making him David Swinson’s first. After Trinity, André studied Philosophy & German at Brasenose College, Oxford, before working in the City. You were part of the Trinity Boys Choir and David Swinson’s first Head Chorister. How did these achievements influence your personal and professional development? Being involved in music at Trinity exposed me to so many experiences, opportunities and places that shaped my understanding of teamwork, leadership and professionalism. The choirs and orchestras showed me the importance of communities in which each person’s unique talent - or sound - contributes something valuable to the whole. Working under different conductors and performing different genres of music enabled me to adapt to new environments or circumstances. Regular sight-reading increased my ability to think on my feet and perform in dynamic situations. Regular performance opportunities
helped my presentation skills and reminded me to think about what my audience was feeling, rather than solely what I was singing or playing. Performance brought me out of myself as, at times, I did not feel comfortable in my own skin. Intellectually, music gave me windows into other moments in history, different cultures and strains of philosophical thought, which contributed to my decision to study modern languages and philosophy. Involvement in music eventually led to me, my wife Alexandra, and closest mates, travelling the world and organising albums, tours and TV appearances with Out of the Blue, an a cappella group at university. It even inspired a yearlong career break working for an NGO in the slums of Buenos Aires. Were there any specific teachers at Trinity who had a significant impact on your life or career? All my teachers influenced me, but a couple had a significant impact. My German teacher and Sixth Form tutor, Gary Powell, was a real support. Had it not been for him (and Chris Tarrant, the headmaster), I might have left Trinity after the financial burden became too much for my family. He