Having lost our musical director, Sebastian Farrall, very suddenly in a tragic cycling accident, we are determined to carry on making music in his honour and memory. He has left us with a legacy of community music making which is inclusive, joyful and of a high standard and we would love to keep this alive under the guidance of a new conductor.
About our Orchestra
The Coventry City of Culture Orchestra was formed in 2021 and received its initial funding from the Coventry and Nuneaton Methodist circuit. In celebration of Coventry becoming the City of Culture, Seb was appointed as one of four ‘Artists in Residence’ at the Methodist Central Hall in Coventry. His idea was to celebrate community music-making in Coventry by forming a brand-new symphony orchestra with a difference. He welcomed not just polished musicians, but also those who hadn’t played recently. To be wholly inclusive, he didn’t put any limits on the number of instruments in each section and welcomed players of instruments that you wouldn’t normally find in an orchestra (saxophones, bass guitar and harmonium!) This has made balance and repertoire choices somewhat of a challenge, but one that can hopefully continue to be tackled with enthusiasm!
Musicians from all over Coventry and Warwickshire dusted off their instruments and applied for membership. The response was phenomenal! The year ended with a sell-out celebration concert featuring the orchestra and a specially formed Festival Chorus. Following the City of Culture celebrations, the funding ended, but the enthusiasm of the orchestra remained so great that the decision was made to continue as a self-funding ensemble. The Central Hall continues to be very supportive, helping with resources and providing a base for rehearsals. In return, the orchestra leads two of the church’s services each year, in addition to their two main orchestral concerts.
Seb was passionate about introducing children to music in a fun and engaging way and the orchestra’s fancy dress family concerts have been a huge success. We really hope to be able to continue encouraging young people in this way.
While the orchestra is eager to move forward, we want to ensure that we remember our roots and the core values that Seb was so passionate about, as to him the orchestra was always so much more than the music. His vision was to create a caring community of musicians in which every member would feel welcome and valued regardless of their experience and ability. Seb’s energy, joy and commitment to building communities and sharing music with everyone lives on in all of us, and we hope the successful candidate will share in this enthusiasm and dedication.
Please visit our youtube channel to see us performing (youtube.com/@coventryorchestra)
If there are any queries, please send them to Fran Farrall (Artistic Director) director@coventryorchestra.co.uk
The ideal candidate will:
Key Responsibilities:
Fixed term contract: (October 2025 – September 2026) subject to renewal with 3 months notice
Fee: (inclusive of all preparation and expenses)
• Rehearsals: £100 per session
• Concerts (including daytime rehearsal): £250
Application deadline: Friday 5th September 2025
How to Apply: Please send your CV, a video file or youtube link displaying your conducting, a covering letter outlining what you could bring to the role, and the contact details for two referees to Fran Farrall (Artistic Director) director@coventryorchestra.co.uk
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview from Wednesday 10th September with a small panel and audition with the whole orchestra on Thursday 18th, or Thursday 25th September with a view to starting rehearsals in October, depending on the availability of the successful candidate. Repertoire to be rehearsed in the orchestral audition will be shared in advance.
About our Orchestra
The Coventry City of Culture Orchestra was formed in 2021 and received its initial funding from the Coventry and Nuneaton Methodist circuit. In celebration of Coventry becoming the City of Culture, Seb was appointed as one of four ‘Artists in Residence’ at the Methodist Central Hall in Coventry. His idea was to celebrate community music-making in Coventry by forming a brand-new symphony orchestra with a difference. He welcomed not just polished musicians, but also those who hadn’t played recently. To be wholly inclusive, he didn’t put any limits on the number of instruments in each section and welcomed players of instruments that you wouldn’t normally find in an orchestra (saxophones, bass guitar and harmonium!) This has made balance and repertoire choices somewhat of a challenge, but one that can hopefully continue to be tackled with enthusiasm!
Musicians from all over Coventry and Warwickshire dusted off their instruments and applied for membership. The response was phenomenal! The year ended with a sell-out celebration concert featuring the orchestra and a specially formed Festival Chorus. Following the City of Culture celebrations, the funding ended, but the enthusiasm of the orchestra remained so great that the decision was made to continue as a self-funding ensemble. The Central Hall continues to be very supportive, helping with resources and providing a base for rehearsals. In return, the orchestra leads two of the church’s services each year, in addition to their two main orchestral concerts.
Seb was passionate about introducing children to music in a fun and engaging way and the orchestra’s fancy dress family concerts have been a huge success. We really hope to be able to continue encouraging young people in this way.
While the orchestra is eager to move forward, we want to ensure that we remember our roots and the core values that Seb was so passionate about, as to him the orchestra was always so much more than the music. His vision was to create a caring community of musicians in which every member would feel welcome and valued regardless of their experience and ability. Seb’s energy, joy and commitment to building communities and sharing music with everyone lives on in all of us, and we hope the successful candidate will share in this enthusiasm and dedication.
Please visit our youtube channel to see us performing (youtube.com/@coventryorchestra)
If there are any queries, please send them to Fran Farrall (Artistic Director) director@coventryorchestra.co.uk
The ideal candidate will:
- Be an experienced conductor (ideally orchestras/instrumental ensembles, but choral conductors will also be considered)
- Have a degree in music or equivalent professional experience
- Be nurturing, encouraging and patient
- Be enthusiastic, engaging and fun
- Be knowledgeable/appreciative of different styles and genres of music
- Be a team player
- Be willing to maintain regular communication with the artistic director, support team and orchestra members
- Be ready to embrace the challenges that this orchestra brings (range of abilities, unbalanced sections, inclusion of saxophones etc.)
- Be experienced at arranging music
- Be a confident speaker who can communicate with audiences effectively
- Have enthusiasm for interacting with, and encouraging children to participate in a family concert setting
- Be committed to community music-making and able to motivate and inspire players across all sections of the orchestra to work together in order to reach their full potential
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead weekly rehearsals on Thursday evenings 7:30pm–10pm (arriving/leaving at least 15 minutes before/after the rehearsal start and end times) and additional rehearsals on concert days
- Conduct at 3–4 events per year (concerts/church services)
- Provide a suitable deputy if unable to attend a rehearsal
- Work collaboratively with the artistic director to plan rehearsal dates and concerts, choose repertoire and concert themes, and contribute to the overall vision of the orchestra for the future
- Maintain regular communication with the artistic director, support team and orchestra members
- Help publicise and promote concerts and other events
- Actively engage with concert audiences to enhance their experience
Fixed term contract: (October 2025 – September 2026) subject to renewal with 3 months notice
Fee: (inclusive of all preparation and expenses)
• Rehearsals: £100 per session
• Concerts (including daytime rehearsal): £250
Application deadline: Friday 5th September 2025
How to Apply: Please send your CV, a video file or youtube link displaying your conducting, a covering letter outlining what you could bring to the role, and the contact details for two referees to Fran Farrall (Artistic Director) director@coventryorchestra.co.uk
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview from Wednesday 10th September with a small panel and audition with the whole orchestra on Thursday 18th, or Thursday 25th September with a view to starting rehearsals in October, depending on the availability of the successful candidate. Repertoire to be rehearsed in the orchestral audition will be shared in advance.
