Colin G. Dance, Composer for Brass Music

Colin G. Dance

Composer

Colin took an early interest in music, starting piano lessons at the age of six. His passion for brass bands was ignited in 1969 when he attended Raans School in Amersham and soon became a member of the Wycombe Youth Band on E Flat Bass. He joined the church choir of Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth having moved to Devon with his family in 1971, and here he studied under organist and choirmaster Hope Bardrick gaining Grade VIII in Theory of Music at the age of 16 years. At Exeter College he studied the trumpet and percussion and obtained an A Level in Music in 1976.

Playing Tenor Horn with the Lympstone Band in his youth, Colin joined the police service in 1981 and spent 18 years as a member of the Band of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, under Keith Whittall RM – who had been his trumpet tutor at Exeter College. He was a founder member and Principal Percussionist of the British Police Symphony Orchestra in 1989. With the BPSO he has toured all over Great Britain, and as far afield as Paris and Jersey, including his first performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Returning to his love for brass bands, in 1996 Colin again joined the Lympstone Band and soon took over the post of Soprano Cornet. In the space of a few years under baton of his great friend Charlie Fleming, this band won 9 contests in a row. The band currently sits comfortably in the First Section.

After a suggestion from Charlie Fleming, in 1998 Colin underwent training to be a Drum Major for the Royal Navy Volunteer Band movement under the wing of the recently retired Corps Drum Major of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Band Service ‘Wiggy’ Whitwham. In 2000 Colin won the award for Best Drum Major with Devonport Naval Base Volunteer Band (HMS Drake) at the annual festival in Portsmouth, following this in 2003 when he won the award for Best Solo Instrumentalist, playing Soprano Cornet. Colin plays tuba for Exeter Symphony Orchestra, and often guests for local brass bands.

Colin gained his 1st Class BA(Hons) degree from the Accrington & Rossendale Band Studies (Sheffield University) course in 2006 where he studied conducting and composition under Arthur Butterworth, David Golightly and Richard Evans, and arrangement with Alan Fernie. His composing and arranging work has been ongoing since the award of this degree. Colin says he’s overwhelmed by the popularity of some of his published works and looks forward to being associated with Obrasso Music for many years to come.