Leaving my brass banding life aside for a couple of weeks, last week I thoroughly enjoyed performing on percussion at Exmouth Pavilion for Exmouth Musical Theatre Company in their production of 'Our House' - the Madness musical, and this week I'm playing trumpet in Sidmouth College's production of Bugsy Malone! Quite different styles, and it's an interesting facet of my musical life that I have the opportunity and the ability to do this. I'm also looking forward to perfoming on percussion in Exeter Little Theatre Compnay's production of 'Acorn Antiques' at the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter next September!

Here's a new service from Dance is With Music for you:

Over the years I have collected. purchased or acquired loads of music tuition books - from brass to percussion, to strings and woodwind, and also theory of music books and piano tutors. I will be listing these plus a wealth of sheet music on this site in the form of a library so that students and teachers alike can hire them from me for lessons and exams - we all know how expensive music for exams can be!

The cost will be realistically low. Here's a sample of what's on offer:

News just in as we approach Easter 2013:

Mf Publications are going to publish Phaeton Fantasy! Just the negotiating left now, but that's just a formality. I'm really excited about it! I'm also pleased to say that Portrait: The Exe Estuary which they have already published is to be recorded in the near future - all great news to add some sparkle to what has not been the best of starts to a New Year.

Business is starting to pick up though, with instruments being repaired by us for Torbay Brass, Tiverton Town Band and of course Lympstone South West Telecoms Band, not to mention some private work (including some clarinets) on the books too.

I'm also well into to re scoring the works that were lost last year, but can produce copies of them from the printed versions with the exception of 'For Unto Us A Child Is Born' which I'm having to do all over from scratch.

My work on a 'sing-along' scored for orchestra for the Classics Galore Concert at Exeter Great Hall this November is also coming on nicely, along with several other commissions that are in the pipeline. I'm also hopeful that I'll have time to produce some new works/arrangements in time for Christmas 2013. I've been promising this for too long!

Finally, here's my new, updated business card. What do you think?

A couple of pictures of restorations I've undertaken recently:

A Hawkes & Co 'Clippertone' Bb and A trumpet - circa 1930:

A Besson cornet found in pieces in a salvage yard in Exeter:

Hi one and all! No doubt many of you will be aware that things haven't exactly gone as planned here at Dance is With Music recently! What with my laptop crashing and taking with it many of my unpublished files, and with my workshop becoming so damp it was uninhabitable after the third bout of flooding since July, it was all too much for Catherine and I and we have had to move to higher ground in Honiton.

Sadly, this means I have for the time being lost my workshop, but worry not - my trustworthy and as yet un-flooded van is being refitted so that I can provide almost a full workshop service on the move.

We are really looking forward to 2013 and all the challenges it will bring, and look forward to the progress of the ever-growing, flourishing band that is the Lympstone Training Band, and to the fortunes of the Lympstone South West Telecoms Band in the 1st Section.

May we wish all our customers and friends a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Hi one and all! No doubt many of you will be aware that things haven't exactly gone as planned here at Dance is With Music recently! What with my laptop crashing and taking with it many of my unpublished files, and with my workshop becoming so damp it was uninhabitable after the third bout of flooding since July, it was all too much for Catherine and I and we have had to move to higher ground in Honiton.

Sadly, this means I have for the time being lost my workshop, but worry not - my trustworthy and as yet un-flooded van is being refitted so that I can provide almost a full workshop service on the move.

We are really looking forward to 2013 and all the challenges it will bring, and look forward to the progress of the ever-growing, flourishing band that is the Lympstone Training Band, and to the fortunes of the Lympstone South West Telecoms Band in the 1st Section.

May we wish all our customers and friends a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

New for 2013:

Including: Brilliant Brass - Super Strings - Wicked Woodwind - Playful Percussion

We have designed new presentations that can be delivered to large KS2 groups or even whole primary schools which introduce children to a variety of musical instruments, and explain in a visual way how they are different. The intention is to demonstrate the instruments in a creative and memorable manner which the children will have fun being involved with and gives them 'hands on' experience of instruments they may not usually see or hear. We supply our own instruments, and try and link each instrument to a memorable character that represents the sound or style of the instrument - and this always gets the children laughing. Colin is in his element performing in this manner, and funny hats are obligatory!

We can tailor the presentations to any ensemble - brass band, concert wind band, symphony orchestra (and even rock bands) and perform  a structured, humorous  and professional show. It inevitably involves participation from the children and their school teachers - and it can prove quite loud! We aim to provide a 'Have a Go' session afterwards where children can try out the various instruments in a supervised environment. We will provide flyers ahead of any performance for you to send out to parents so that the children who already play can bring their own instruments if they would like to, or bring funny hats etc on the day.

Please contact us for further information or to make a booking. You won't be disappointed - music is cool!

14th October 2012

A month has passed, and at our Training Band session on Saturday 13th October more new members came along, and when we're all together the band now numbers 21 players! Maginificent, but there is plenty of room for more players to come along - including members of the senior band. Grateful thanks to Tim, Bryony, Gill and Claire for their assistance at rehearsals thus far.

Colin and Catherine gave a presentation to the whole school at Lympstone Primary School on Thursday 11th October, where Colin demonstrated ALL the instruments in the brass band, and also included the French Horn and Trumpet for good measure. Strange thing, but it seemed the children just wanted to hear him play the drums!

Keep spreading the word folks - we want the Training Band to outnumber the senior band!

15th September 2012

The second session of the Training Band REVIVAL was equally impressive as the first session! I had not expected as high a standard as this so early! Spread the word to as many friends and family as possible - we have a gig! We have been asked to play some Christmas music in The Globe Inn on Saturday 15th December 2012 at 10.30am, so I'll be getting some Christmas music out ready (and writing some with a bit of luck) at the next session on 29th September.

Please note that although there is no scheduled session this Saturday 22nd, those who wish to attend can get together in the bandroom and have a play anyway - Roger Riggs will supervise this session, and I will confirm it's on before we depart for Cheltenham.

8th September 2012

This Saturday morning (8th) saw the first 'open' session of the newly reformed Lympstone Training Band under the direction of Colin Dance - and very successful it was too! With Bryony, Tim, Gill and Claire from the senior band present offering their expert guidance, the band gave a hearty welcome to newcomers young and, shall we say, more mature! The familiar faces of the Riggs and Bound families came along too, and altogether there was a band of 7 cornets/trumpets, 3 tenor horns, 1 euphonium, 1 baritone, 1 trombone (yes, Roger Riggs has decided to learn the trombone!), 2 Eb basses, and a drummer. Fantastic!

Colin was most impressed with the overall sound at a first session - especially as young Charlie had never played an instrument before, and many were returning from long breaks from playing. Warming up with an improvised version of 'Rock You', the band then worked on 'Friday Rag', 'A Spoonful of Sugar', 'Razzmatazz' and 'Any Dream Will Do'.

The band are also most grateful to Catherine Dance for running the tuck shop, and making copious cups of coffee all round!

The band is looking forward to the next session on Saturday 15th September, at which even more players will be coming. Come along and join the happy throng, and give Colin a ring for more details.

The future looks rosy - so spread the word.

August 2012

Following recent discussions, the new Lympstone Youth and Training Band sessions under the direction of Colin Dance will take place on Saturday mornings at the Lympstone Band Centre in Chapel Road, Lympstone between 10.30am and Midday starting on Saturday 8th September 2012. Due to the main band's qualification for the National Finals in Cheltenham, there will be no session on Saturday 22nd September! Sessions will run in term time only .

The full and final details have yet to be finalised, but it is planned to run a tuck shop as before, with snacks and soft drinks available during the break time. If you are interested in joining as a playing member, please get in touch with Colin. We do need to gauge what the situation with instruments will be and address this as early as possible. The band would also like some adult mentors and helpers, so if you are interested in being involved in a non-playing aspect of this band, please do get in touch.

If you haven't heard about it, here's your chance! Like it's famous Cornish cousins Helston who celebrate Flora Day annually in May, along with a host of towns and villages across the two counties who also host Furry Dances throughout the year, Lympstone, a fair village on the Exe Estuary, has it's own annual event. Originally run by the Lympstone Band for band funds since 1933, The Lympstone Furry Dance is now run as a village fundraising  event - and a good job the villagers make of it too! This year, rather than play the same much loved and rather dog-earred version of part of Katie Moss's 1911 'The Floral Dance', the Lympstone South West Telecoms Band in 2012 played a new, subtely arranged version by Dance is With Music. The band liked it, and as yet, no-one has said they didn't! Maybe there's a small chance that no-one actually noticed, as the melody was exactly the same!

Did I mention the fireworks? After the dance and the band's final short concert, there were fireworks from the harbour wall over the Exe Estuary, and they were fantastic! What a great day - and then it rained again......!

Catherine and I decided as the sun was shining today, it would be a good idea to take some pictures of me in my workshop and my mobile workshop van. You never know when it's going to start raining again! Maybe it would have been a better idea to wear trousers rather than the shorts, but what the heck!

Following the successful completion of the Brass Instrument Repair Course, Colin is now an Associate Member of NAMIR Ltd and once Dance is With Music has been trading for 12 months, he will be come a Professional Member. Colin is delighted about this, and will be spending further time in Llangunllo in Wales with Trevor Head brushing up on his soldering and dent removal skills.

Colin has also become a member of NABBC following on from his time as conductor of Tiverton Concert Band and the City of Exeter Railway Band, and from September 2012 the Musical Director of the Lympstone Youth and Training Band (Avocet Brass). He is delighted to have been welcomed into a large family of conductors, and hopes to learn a great deal from fellow members.

Here's some news for you all - we've designed some flyers that are about to be printed and thought you might like a sneak preview (if you haven't seen them on Facebook already!). There have been some adjustments to the services Dance is With Music are providing, and there might be some fairly substantial news in the offing too, but we'll keep you updated!

Dance is With Music is now a registered company, and Barclays have now taken on our business banking requirements. Colin will be going on a 'Thrive Online' course next week, and a financial accounting course the following week - so in the very near future and definitely by the end of July, the services that are not already happeneing will be fully on offer.

Keep looking back!

Finally it's here - the Dance is With Music mobile van has arrived and it looks fantastic! Having bought the van a couple of months back, as you know I've been deep in consultation with everyone about how the van should look. Well, you'll not be surprised to hear that I've ignored everyone and done my own thing anyway! Of course that's not true - I listened intently to all the advice and suggestions and took it all on board. I'm actually really pleased with the final result, and would like to publicly thank Ray Heavens at Ace Signs for doing all the design work and the final signing last week.

Now all that remains is to complete the fittings inside the van and equip it with some of the tools I've purchased recently. I'm hugely pleased to tell you that I will be able to approach all music providers, individuals and ensembles, offering clients my mobile repair, maintenance and inventory service - and that includes schools with their own instruments. So, spread the word - I'm ready to roll (just need my dent removal balls!).

Finally it's here - the Dance is With Music mobile van has arrived and it looks fantastic! Having bought the van a couple of months back, as you know I've been deep in consultation with everyone about how the van should look. Well, you'll not be surprised to here that I've ignored everyone and done my own thing anyway! Of course that's not true - I listened intently to all the advice and suggestions and took it all on board. I'm actually really pleased with the final result, and would like to publicly thank Ray Heavens at Ace Signs for doing all the design work and the final signing last week.

Now all that remains is to complete the fittings inside the van and equip it with some of the tools I've purchased recently. I'm hugely pleased to tell you that I will be able to approach all music providers, individuals and ensembles, offering clients my mobile repair, maintenance and inventory service - and that includes schools with their own instruments. So, spread the word - I'm ready to roll (just need my dent removal balls!).

Continuing with my series of in-depth studies of my major works, here's how Portrait: The Exe Estuary came into being:

Exmouth and the River Exe and it's estuary have played a massive part in my life - my parents moved our family from Beaconsfield to Exmouth in 1971, and I've called Exmouth 'home' ever since. Mum and dad still live in the same house - which has become a meeting place for 'the clan'. I'm drawn to the town and it's surrounding villages, and it holds memories both happy and sad for me. In the final year of my Band Studies degree course, I had to compose a work to major with, and decided to write about memories of my youth in Exmouth.

The first movement is called 'The Estuary at Dawn'. It starts very calmly, and has a feeling of stillness. There are effects to mimic sounds I used to hear: cornets with the sounds of birds at the start of the dawn chorus, percussion imitating the clattering of the rigging of yacht masts in the breeze, the sound of the 'Bell Buoy' out in the estuary ringing with the swell of the tide, All Saints Church bells at 6.00am, and the first train leaving Exmouth Station and picking up speed on its way to Exeter. The trombones can be heard playing the sound of the train horn (no surprise there then!)- always sounded as the train left the town.

The second movement is called  'Exmouth Town' and depicts the hustle and bustle of  busy daytime life in the seaside town centre. There is no let up in the fast tempo, and the movement includes some complex 2/4 and 3/8 rhythms. It has an overlapping, repetetive melody line which is passed around the sections of the band.

The 4th and final movement 'Esplanade' depicts a summer's day at the seaside on the picturesque estuary beaches of Exmouth. There's all sorts going on: fairgrounds, boats, children playing in the sand, ice-creams, and there's something a bit sinister in there too! The main theme represents the peaceful nature of the famous Esplanade and features a haunting melody, again passed around soloists. The movement concludes with a bustling, happy theme leading to a big finish using snippets developed from the first and third movements.

This work earned me a 1st Class Honours degree, and the second, albeit short, movement is amongst my favourite pieces I have ever written. But then it's about Lympstone - and as I first played in the Lympstone Band in 1972 and am still there despite a few gaps - that's probably why! The village and its band are in my blood.

I've just spent the most enjoyable, gratifying and and rewarding week in Wales on Trevor Head's Brass Instrument Repair Course at Llangunllo School. Apart from meeting some great new friends from as far afield as Sydney in Australia (Lauren) and Madrid in Spain (Alfonso), not forgetting Mike and Gina, Stephen, and Mike (a clarinettist from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), I've also learnt a great deal about repairing brass instruments: soldering and dent removal techniques, tool making, patching splits or small holes, valve and slide overhaul and lapping, restoration, polishing, and silver plating. Trevor is a recognised expert on setting up and repairing trombone slides, and passed on a few of his secret tips. There is a wealth of other tricks of the trade, maintenance and general repair information I have acquired too - more than enough to get my repair business up and running.

I have spent today having a good old rummage around local  recycling centres, second hand dealers and antique toolshops, and other tantalising places like Steptoe's Market in Exeter with newly opened eyes seeing what I could glean and turn into a useful tool. I have managed to acquire a number of tools, potions and lotions, and equipment to supplement those I made or purchased on the course, but still need some substantial and rather expensive items over the course of time to fully equip my mobile workshop.

I am now in the process of setting up a pricing policy for my Mobile Repair Service, individual and ensemble maintenance and repair packages and  inventory service, and will add this information to my Services page when it is complete. Keep looking back!

PS: I have to say that Wales is a very beautiful place in the Spring, but I really didn't expect three days of snowy conditions in April! We had all four seasons in a single week!

After a plethora of enquiries for them, we have decided to introduce a selection of A5 'march card' sized versions of popular melodies and songs. It

appears that the modern band can no longer rely on their trusty selection of marches old and new when performing outdoors with lyres only at parades, sporting events and the like. Colin our arranger is currently working on brand new arrangements of titles for inclusion, but we would welcome any suggestions too. So far we've been asked for: Ireland's Call, World in Union, Bring Me Sunshine, and New York, New York! Not exactly a choice and eclectic starting line up one might say! 

However, once our list is fully established, we will be able to provide either standalone copies, or a selection of your choice in a ring-bound, waterproof, 'easy to play from lyres' volume. We will cater for both wind bands and brass bands, and if you have any specific thoughts about pieces you would like included, please get in touch and Colin will get working on them. Prices have yet to be decided.

After lots of enquiries and demand for them, we have decided to provide a selection of A5 march card sized versions of popular melodies and songs. It appears that the modern band can no longer reply on the trusty selection of marches when performing outdoors at parades, sporting events and the like.  Colin our arranger is currently working on some titles for inclusion, but we would welcome any suggestions too. So far we've been asked for: Ireland's Call, World in Union, Bring Me Sunshine, and New York, New York.

Once our list is populated, we will be able to provide either standalone single pieces, or a selection of your choice in a bound, easy to play from lyres volume. If you have any specific thoughts or pieces you would like included, please get in touch and Colin will get working on them. Prices to be confirmed.

The richness of this musical soundtrack and the work 'Le Morte D'Arthur' by Sir Thomas Mallory inspired me to create Avalon Rhapsody. Written as a suite of four vastly different movements: King Arthur, Excalibur, Lady Guinevere and The Knights of the Round Table, each movement challenges the listener to pick out the 'leit motif' and the characters they represent.

The opening movement tells of the innocence of the young Arthur, and moves descriptively through the troubles of his life. Containing a triumphant middle section, the movement has a peaceful conclusion which was inspired by the works of Goff Richards. The second movement tells of the power of Excalibur and has some tricky cornet effect parts for the back row,  and requires an emboucher of steel from the soprano cornet player. Concluding  with a huge percussion roll and heavy chords over the top, it is a great movement to show off the power of a brass band in full flight.

The third movement is a challenge for any conductor, and depicts Queen Guinevere, Arthur's wife , and is written in 12/8 with a compound rhythm within it. A joyous, youthful feel at the start, the section moves to a poignant theme to represent the passion between her and Lancelot.  The fourth movement - The Knights of the Round Table, is akin to  the style of Resphigi's The Pines of Rome, in that the Arthurian Knights can be heard approaching Camelot in a triumphant slow march from the distance, and the movement builds to a massive climax as the legions arrive at the gates. Again, well developed embouchers with plenty of stamina are required to pull this off effectively.

Avalon Rhapsody has been performed and recorded by the Blackburn & Darwen Band (Championship Section) courtesy of Nigel Hall at MMI Music, and has also been performed by Gillingham Imperial Silver Band and by the City of Exeter Railway Band at the Weston-super-Mare 'Own Choice' contest. It has also been submitted as a suggested test piece for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.