About
The Central England Concert Band is a warm and welcoming ensemble which performs at various concerts and events throughout the year. We play a wide range of repertoire including film music such as 'James Bond' and 'How to Train your Dragon' and hits from the musicals, marches, and more established wind band repertoire such as the works of Holst, Vaughan Williams and Arnold. The band is available for events, and is always looking for extra members.
The band was formed around 1980 as the Black Watch Association Band with the majority of its members coming from a military background. Following relocation to the United Services Club in Birmingham City Centre the band renamed to the Birmingham United Services Concert Band. For a short while in the 90s the band reformed as the Rover Group Concert Band rehearsing on the Longbridge site before becoming the Central England Concert Band in 1999 to reflect the area from which the majority of our members come.
MARTIN SLEAFORD: MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Martin graduated from Coventry University having studied Music Composition and Professional Practice with a new-found passion for conducting. His conducting career started with the University Wind Band and he went on to form Godiva Symphony Orchestra as part of his final year project.
Since university, Martin has worked with a number of ensembles in the Midlands area. He has been the Musical Director of Stourbridge Choir and Orchestra for over ten years, and thoroughly enjoys working with all levels of musicians to achieve the best from each one.
Outside of conducting, Martin is a private instrumental tutor and multi-instrumentalist. His primary instrument is the piano, but he is comfortable playing saxophones, clarinet, flute, trumpet and French horn ...... and is often found playing timpani and other percussion instruments when required.
