Studying two A-levels in Music at Hills Road VI Form in Cambridge, he was encouraged to build upon earlier fourays into rock music by one of his teachers, the late Richard Bisiker. This meant a busy life playing in a busy jazz quartet, jazz band, blues group and rock group as well as the more traditional string and symphony orchestras. Possibly due to such high exposure to different styles, but more likely due to confusion as to which rehearsal he was expecting at any time, Dury began to experiment with cross-over styles, studio recording and electric cello.
Studying
music at Birmingham University, Dury continued to play the cello and bass in
orchestras, musicals and contemporary music ensembles, performing in
Birmingham's Symphony Hall and CBSO Centres. He also studied contemporary
composition, sound recording and studio composition (both reel-to-reel 'music
concrete' form and Apple-Mac Pro-Tools), although teachers Vic Hoyland and Jonty
Harrison would often note with humour the jazz and pop elements constantly
trying to break through in his music. His composition for orchestra, '...On the
passing of time' was premiered in the University's annual Summer Festival.
He was subsequently offered a place at the Birmingham Conservatoire, studying for a Master of Arts degree in performance, where he continued to perform in all contemporary music ensembles as well as leading the cello sections of the symphony and sinfonia orchestras
Since then he has freelanced
with orchestras across the UK, including the British Concert Orchestra,
Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Britten-Pears Orchestra. He also performs
regularly with the Ardeton
String Quartet in Bristol and Bath, and has played at festivals in the UK
and abroad with the Ardeton
Ensemble, including a tour to Norway. He also wrote and performed the
multi-tracked string arrangements as session
cellist for Tanya Walker's EP The Changing Me, performing at various
clubs and venues in South Wales. He also enjoys cars, bicycles and web-stuff,
but there's no space for that here...