Music Ensembles

• Brass Ensemble
• Century 21
• Chamber Choir
• Gospel Choir
• Guitar Ensemble
• Independent Ensemble
• Colchester Institute Choir
• Jazz Ensemble
• Jazz Vocal Ensemble
• MXD
• Opera Workshop
• Student Rock and Pop Groups
• Symphonic Wind Orchestra
• Wind Ensembles

Brass Ensemble
This group performs in concerts with Symphonic Wind Orchestra and regularly rehearses original repertoire and arrangements. When musicians are required for graduation ceremonies, events in the town or further afield, Brass Ensemble is the first port of call!

Century 21
This ensemble performs an exciting mix of 21st Century music, student compositions and music by contemporary composers. Recent concerts have included music by Arvo Pärt, In C by Terry Riley, the Milhaud Percussion Concerto and music for percussion played by the entire ensemble. Compositions have included a saxophone concerto by Rob Miles and Journey from Colchester by Alex Lynn. There is an opportunity to collaborate with improvisation-based music groups such as FireWire, with which the ensemble performed Stuart Russell’s semi-improvised opera for instruments and live electronics “the Tower of Babel”. Century 21 is directed by Mark Bellis, Head of Composition and BA course leader. “We don’t play 20th Century music”

Chamber Choir
Open to students on the BA(Hons) in Music and National Diploma in Music (ZH34151/2). This small choir specialises in a capella singing of music in a wide variety of styles ranging from Renaissance polyphony through the 19c Romantic Partsong repertoire to 20c music by such composers as Britten, Gorecki and Poulenc. External concerts in a variety of outside concert venues in East Anglia are a regular part of the programme of activities.

Chamber Orchestra and String Ensemble
The Chamber Orchestra, directed by Head of Classical Strings Steve Bingham, performs a wide range of music both for full chamber orchestra and string ensemble. They also often accompany choral productions. The orchestra aims to provide students with an opportunity to improve their sight-reading, performance and ensemble skills, working on varied repertoire throughout the year and giving regular public concerts both in the Institute and beyond. Recent repertoire has included: Mendelssohn "Fingal's Cave" Overture, Malcolm Arnold Flute Concerto, Rossini "Barber of Seville" Overture, Vaughan-Williams "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis", Sibelius "Finlandia", Mendelssohn Octet, Bach Brandenburg Concerto no.5, Shostakovich Piano Concerto no.1, Corelli Concerto Grosso op.12 no.1.

Gospel Choir
Open to all CMPA students. This group specialises in popular Gospel Choir repertoire with a chance for students to extend their individual improvisation skills and plenty of opportunities for solo work.

Guitar Ensemble
Classical Guitar Ensemble is usually in quartet form using four standard classical guitars. Larger ensembles have been formed for special events and have used bass and treble instruments giving a much enhanced range and distinctive sound. The Guitar Quartet repertoire includes a mix of original pieces, mostly by guitar composers in England and Scotland, and transcriptions of standard chamber repertoire, particularly from the Baroque era. Regular performance opportunities for the Ensemble are the events at Colchester Institute, such as Ensemble Prize, and at master classes by visiting artists. The group performed in a master class given by the Modern Guitar Trio during Guitarfest. They have also performed in Suffolk village concerts and at the Centre for Young Musicians in London. The Guitar Ensemble is directed by Tim Pells of the English Guitar Quartet, Head of Contemporary Strings at Colchester Institute.

Independent Ensemble
This is an opportunity to create a new student ensemble which can be accredited for your course.

Colchester Institute Choir
Open to all CMPA students. This choir, generally consisting of approximately 100 voices, presents at least two major public concerts each academic year. The repertoire performed explores a variety of styles ranging from traditional African songs through to full scale choral works such as Carmina Burana and John Rutter’s popular setting of the Gloria. During rehearsals, besides dealing with the basic disciplines of choral singing such as good ensemble, intonation, tone and blend, there is great emphasis on understanding the basics of a healthy approach to singing.

Jazz Ensemble
Jazz Ensemble, directed by Malcolm Miles, provides students with an opportunity to develop both ensemble and improvisation skills. The repertoire is stylistically varied, combining original works with arrangements of jazz standards and contemporary compositions. Some pieces are played from notation and others are learned entirely by ear. It is a challenging but rewarding environment that allows students to work on many aspects of their general musicianship, historical knowledge and stylistic awareness.

Jazz Vocal Ensemble
Open to all CMPA students. This group specialises in small scale ensemble performance of a variety of Jazz standards, generally singing one voice per part.

MXD
MXD is a mixed ensemble directed by Phil Toms, giving students and members of the wider community the opportunity to perform a mix of contemporary classical music, minimalism, popular arrangements and film music. The group, which consists of an orchestra often with rock band and guest soloists, is flexible to suit the music it performs. Recent performances include: Michael Nyman In Re: Don Giovanni, Gavin Bryars Sub Rosa, Karl Jenkins Palladio and contemporary film and theatre music.  For the 2008 season, MXD held a schools concert in June performing Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Saint Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and followed that with a community outreach project at Christmas. In 2009, the concerts premiered new works by students on the music courses in addition to miniatures written in the 1950s.

Opera Workshop
Open to all CMPA students. This provides an opportunity for students to be involved in a fully staged Music Theatre production with appropriate instrumental accompaniment. The group has performed a very wide variety of repertoire including Sondheim - Into the Woods, Gilbert and Sullivan - The Yeoman of the Guard, Smetana - The Bartered Bride, Bernstein - West Side Story, Gluck - Orfeo, Purcell - Dido and Aeneas, Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld.

Student Rock and Pop Groups
Throughout Colchester Institute, students are encouraged to form their own bands which will be used for assessment during the year. This includes regular workshops and competitions as well as showcases and recording sessions (often for other students in the Centre). They are tutored by experienced professional musicians who maintain a career in the music industry as well as teaching the next generation.

Symphonic Wind Orchestra
This group comprises students from the Centre’s MA, BA and National Diploma courses, as well welcoming back past students and members of staff! Under Charles Hine's inspiring direction, the group has performed regularly in the Centre, the locality and London as well as appearing in the finals of Music for Youth (Royal Festival Hall) and annually in the National Concert Band Festival. They have been invited to appear at the NCBF Finals on several occasions and have been delighted to win the coveted Gold Award in the Open Wind Band Class with a performance of Sun Paints Rainbows over the Vast Waves by David Bedford.
Workshops have been led by such luminaries as Frank Battisti, Frederick Fennell, Martin Ellerby, Colin Touchin and Guy Woolfenden. Other notable milestones include concerto appearances with Helen Vollam (trombone), Lesley Young (piano) and Linda Merrick (clarinet) and the group was honoured to appear in the 1990 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) International Conference at the RNCM. In 2005 the group undertook a highly successful tour of Belgium and are looking forward to venturing further abroad in the future.

Wind Ensembles
The large and thriving Woodwind department boasts a number of extremely active ensembles, both student and staff led, who regularly perform in college and at venues in the town. We have all the large and small versions of all the instrumental families (Bass and Alto Clarinets, Contra Bass Clarinets, Flutes, Cor Anglais, Soprano and Sopranino Saxes, Contra Bassoon, Bass Recorders etc), so the sky is the limit regarding repertoire.