From Wanganui Chronicle April 16th 2011
Alan and Mary Dean will be glued to their television set on April 29, hoping to catch a glimpse of their son Hamish serenading Prince William and Kate Middleton during the couple's wedding at Westminster Abbey.
The Wanganui couple's 35-year-old son is part of the Royal Air Force Fanfare Party that will perform a piece called Valiant and Brave as the royal couple sign the register.
Valiant and Brave is named after the motto of 22 Squadron, in which Prince William is serving as a search and rescue pilot, stationed in North Wales.
Mr Dean said he and Mary were fiercely proud and honoured, but not surprised their son had been chosen to play at the royal wedding.
Hamish Dean is no stranger to royal performances, having performed with the New Zealand Brass Youth Band at Westminster Abbey in front of the Queen during an Anzac concert seven years ago.
"We are very proud and excited and will be certainly watching the wedding on television," Mr Dean said.
"Hamish was interested in music right from childhood and attended Saturday morning classes at intermediate school in Wanganui, where he learned to play the saxophone."
Mr Dean said their son had approached recruiters for the British military services seven years ago and discovered there were vacancies for trombone players with the RAF.
"When he got back to New Zealand he set about a long drawn-out process applying for the British military.
He managed to raise the funds for a quick trip between music commitments to audition for a place in the RAF in July 2003."
In March the following year, Hamish entered basic training and graduated as a fully trained serviceman after a 12-week basic training course.
He has now reached the rank of corporal and performs regularly with a variety of RAF bands.
Cpl Dean will not be the only New Zealander performing at the royal wedding. His best friend, Michael McGowan from Christchurch, will also play trumpet at the wedding.
The pair met and became friends while studying for bachelor of music degrees at Victoria University in Wellington.
No comments:
Post a Comment