Colin G. Dance composer / arranger

Colin took an early interest in music starting piano lessons at the age of six. His passion for brass bands started in 1969 when he attended Raans School in Amersham, and then became a member of the Wycombe Youth Band on E Flat Bass. He joined the church choir of Holy Trinity Church in Exmouth having moved to Devon with his family in 1971, and here he studied under organist and choirmaster Hope Bardrick gaining Grade VIII in the Theory of Music at the age of 14 years. At Exeter College he studied the trumpet and percussion and obtained an A Level in Music. Playing Tenor Horn with the Lympstone Band in his youth, Colin joined the police service in 1981, and spent 16 years as a member of the Band of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary under the baton of 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, with whom he has toured all over Great Britain, including several performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall. Colin went back to the Lympstone Band in 1996, (now the SW Comms Band) and took over the post of Soprano Cornet. In the space of a few years, the band won nine contests in a row. The band has recently been promoted to the Championship Section. In 1998 Colin underwent training to be a Drum Major for the Royal Navy Volunteer Band movement under the now retired Corps Drum Major of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Band Service ‘Wiggy’ Whitwham. It was whilst on this course that Colin met 'Mac' McDermott (then the Staff Arranger for HM Royal Marines Band Service), and was introduced to the wonders of Sibelius musical notation software, and he hasn't looked back since.

In 2006 Colin gained his BA 1st class honours degree from the course set up by Richard Evans: the Accrington & Rossendale Band Studies (Sheffield University) course, where he studied conducting with Richard Evans and Arthur Butterworth, composition under David Golightly, and arrangement with Alan Fernie. Colin looks forward to being associated with MF Publications for many years to come, and is loving being back playing E flat bass with SW Comms Band in Lympstone where he belongs.