Colin Touchin


Colin Michael Touchin 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 and Keble College, Oxford.
Touchin taught for eight years at Chetham's School of Music, and for two years was Head of Composition. For over a decade he was Director of Music at the University of Warwick. 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. He also conducted West Midland Wind Orchestra
In Frankfurt he was Chief Conductor of the Lufthansa 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 Brief Intervals for saxophone quartetChoose the Light, oratorio Coventry Suite for orchestraHilarion, oratorio for baritone, choir and orchestra
  • Idyllwild Suite for wind bandImpressions of Don Giovanni, chamber ensemble in memoriam Cathy, chamber ensembleLambs & Tygers for chorus and orchestraLittle Red Riding Hood, ballet for youth orchestraSaint George of Coventry, chorus and orchestra
  • Sinfonietta No 2 for orchestra
  • Sinfonietta No.4 for orchestra Sonatella for piano Three Suffolk Pictures for wind bandYon twelve-winded sky for string quartet