Colin Michael Touchin (3 April 1953 – 30 September 2022) was a British conductor, composer and music educator. His compositions include two oratorios, four orchestral sinfoniettas, and works for wind band and choral groups.

Biography

Colin Touchin was educated at

William Hulme's Grammar School William Hulme's Grammar School is a mixed all-through school in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. History William Hulme (1631–1691) of Hulme Hall, Stockport, was the founder of "Hulme's Charity" later known as the Hulme Trust. Follow ...

and

Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to th ...

. Touchin taught for eight years at

Chetham's School of Music Chetham's School of Music () is an independent co-educational music school in Manchester, England. Chetham's educates students between the ages of 8 and 18, all of whom enter via musical auditions. Students receive a full academic education alon ...

, and for two years was Head of Composition. For over a decade he was Director of Music at the

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...

. While in the UK he played in a piano duo with his friend Peter Donohoe. In 2005 he founded and conducted the Spires Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus in Coventry, made up of professional and skilled amateur musicians from the Coventry and Warwickshire area. Spires recorded a CD of his compositions in 2012. In Frankfurt he was Chief Conductor of the

Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...

Orchestra, an ensemble made up of pilots, flight attendants, technicians and office workers who make music in their spare time. In Hong Kong he was Musical Director of the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir, the a capella female choir Grace Notes, and guest conductor of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and Tak-Ming Philharmonic Winds. His home was in Warsaw, where he died of pancreatic cancer.

Selected works

* ''A Beade of Amber'' (for the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales) * ''Brief Intervals'' for saxophone quartet * ''Choose the Light'', oratorio (2012) * ''Coventry Suite'' for orchestra * ''Hilarion'', oratorio for baritone, choir and orchestra (1987) *''Idyllwild Suite'' for wind band * ''Impressions of Don Giovanni'', chamber ensemble (1991) * ''in memoriam Cathy'', chamber ensemble * ''Lambs & Tygers'' for chorus and orchestra * ''Little Red Riding Hood'', ballet for youth orchestra * ''Saint George of Coventry'', chorus and orchestra * Sinfonietta No 2 for orchestra (1982) * Sinfonietta No.4 for orchestra (2021) * ''Sonatella'' for piano (1990) * ''Three Suffolk Pictures'' for wind band * ''Yon twelve-winded sky'' for string quartet (1991)

References

External links

Sinfonietta No. 4, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, cond. Colin Touchin

Warwick Music Composers
* 1953 births 2022 deaths English classical composers English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) 21st-century classical composers Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Academics of the University of Warwick People educated at William Hulme's Grammar School English male classical composers 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians {{UK-composer-stub