A Tribute to Sebastian Farrall on behalf of The Coventry City of Culture Orchestra
Written by David RhodesIt is with heavy hearts that we remember the Coventry City of Culture Orchestra’s founder, conductor and general inspiration – Sebastian Farrall. Though his time with us currently feels heartbreakingly short, Seb’s legacy is already in motion—resounding, enduring, and deeply woven into the lives of those he inspired, especially those of us in this orchestra, which is not just a thriving community but a loving family that could only have been brought into existence by Seb’s amazing vision.
Seb was a dazzling force of nature: brilliant, multi-talented, and joyfully creative. He brought vision, energy, and flair to every rehearsal, every performance, and every project. And yet, beyond all the dazzle, what shone brightest was his gentleness, his kindness, and his steady, unwavering humility. One member described him as “living his life in the God lane—with integrity, compassion, and deep purpose”. His example of how to live and love whilst firing on all cylinders leaves others without excuse, honour bound to follow that lead.
In 2021, Seb was appointed as one of four Artists in Residence through the Coventry Central Hall’s initiative for the City of Culture celebrations by its (then) new minister, Rev. Stephen Willey. When Seb stated his vision: to form a brand-new, full symphony orchestra that welcomed not just polished musicians, but also those who hadn’t played for years, Stephen would have been forgiven for thinking he was a little crazy – an impossible dream, perhaps?! But what began as a spark became a fire: the Coventry City of Culture Orchestra was born, and with it, a community built around music, inclusion, and joy.
Seb’s final concert with us, in March 2025, was perhaps the most joyful of all. Themed around the Animal Kingdom, the family-friendly fancy dress concert brought out the very best of Seb’s spirit. Sections of the orchestra were transformed into flamingos, penguins, and pink panthers—led by Seb himself, beaming in sequins (just like so many of us today). Over 450 audience members, many dressed as animals too, filled the venue. From the costumes to the soft play baby area, Seb and Fran had thought of it all. It was a celebration not just of music, but of imagination, welcome, fun, and the human spirit. Who knows how many young people in that audience will be inspired to become our future musicians or conductors: that was Seb’s mission and he put his absolute all into it.
Just before that concert, one orchestra member told me how she accidentally walked in on Seb mid-costume change. The main sight to behold, however, wasn’t Seb in his pants—but the sight of his dad, squeezing into a bright yellow chicken onesie. Any predictable embarrassment was quickly replaced with laughter and a shared sense that this must surely be some glorious payback for something Seb’s dad made him do in childhood. That small moment in an even smaller cupboard-like dressing room somehow held everything Seb stood for—joy, laughter, openness, and family.
Seb went above and beyond to help others thrive and to include everyone, from arranging practice spaces, lifts, instruments, tutoring… the list goes on. His generosity and support knew no bounds. He made space and time for others, always. And perhaps his biggest gift was making all of us believe in ourselves. The writer of this tribute, like so many other members of the orchestra, had not even touched their instrument for years when the advert for Seb’s “pipe dream” caught our eyes. See, it’s not just a matter of dusting off an instrument and continuing where you left off. When you stop playing for a prolonged period, you lose not only your skills, but your confidence and your very passion. It took Seb to reignite that passion and remind us all that music lives on deep within our souls. With his nourishment and nurture, you finally realise that it never went away. No matter your level, Seb treated you as a peer. He made music-making joyful and fun for all. Who could forget: “Well done! You can have 10 points and an out-of-date biscuit?!” (I’m not sure anyone in the orchestra knows what we can cash the points in for yet!)
Seb’s love of music and belief that it should be accessible to everyone, his energy, commitment and enthusiasm live on in his family and every one of us. He may be gone from our sight, but never from our future music-making, our memories, or our hearts. Seb will be remembered for so many things, but part of his legacy stands right here before you: this bunch of quirky, loyal and heartbroken musicians known as the Coventry City of Culture Orchestra – we are not perfect and we may never be the finished product… but we are his family and our fire still burns.
Thank you, Seb.
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Since graduation in 2014, Seb has worked as a musical director, conductor, arranger and vocal coach, working with choirs of all sizes, and Orchestral ensembles. Seb also makes many recordings in his home studio producing choir 'guide tracks'. Lockdown in 2020 has also seen Seb develop new digital skills spending an increasing amount of time producing ‘virtual choirs’ as well as developing a mobile app to support remote community singing (onlineconductor.app). Seb is also a keen performer, his main instrument percussion, which has led to performing in prestigious concert halls (Including O2 Arena London, and the Royal Albert Hall) and around the world. Seb has also recently joined the a tap dancing class!
Seb Farrall graduated from Coventry University in 2014 with a first-class degree in Music Composition, and the Robert Ramskill composition award for ‘significant contribution to the department’. Seb's composition tutor was leading experimental composer Chris Hobbs. While studying at Coventry, Seb conducted the department’s orchestra as student conductor for several years with tuition from Chris Evans and was involved in many successful composition and conducting projects.
The biggest contribution to Seb's degree success was final collaborative project, MenCho, where Seb and co-founder Jon Welling formed together the MenCho Men's Chorus at the start of 2014. Starting a community ensemble as part of a degree project was a big risk, while most lecturers though it was an excellent idea, others were keen to point out that it was potentially foolish with both degrees on the line. Jon and Seb both agreed that it was a risk worth taking and, fortunately, it paid off.
Shortly after MenCho reached it's end, Seb was contacted by the Workplace Choir Company, and asked to help with the London Taxi Company's Black Cab Choir. Since 2014, Seb’s excellent reputation as a conductor has continued to grow, and he is delighted now to be Musical Director of a number of ensembles in Warwickshire, including Sing it Loud, Coventry Philharmonic Singers, Burton Green Village Choir, Earlsdon Park Village Singers, The Coventry City Salvation Army Songster Brigade, and the Bad Vibrations Singing Group. The proving ground was MenCho, and the phone didn't stop ringing.
Seb also runs www.onlineconductor.com, a website aimed at resourcing choirs, removing bars which may stop people from enjoying music.
During the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 Seb became somewhat adept at creating virtual choirs and video production went through the roof. The first was (Something Inside) So Strong (Sing it Loud), and many...many(!) virtual choir performances later culminated in two 'virtual concerts'. Sing it Loud and the Kenilworth Lions. Another concert was squeezed out in Spring 2021 deemed to be the last.......(fingers crossed!)
To help with creating virtual choirs, Seb also developed an app - onlineconductor.app. While Seb was always keen on technology, he didn't ever imagine that this passion and natural skill would tie in so well with music making.
Seb's approach very much hinges on extracting musicality from ink on a page and transforming it into something with colour and life. Playing/singing the right notes is the easy bit, and is frankly possible without a conductor. It’s also important when in the community setting that rehearsals are enjoyable; Seb works hard to ensure people always leave rehearsals in a positive frame of mind, eager to return the following week and perhaps even practice once or twice. This comes, in part, from a healthy injection of humour, well-structured rehearsals and solid musical achievements. The angry conductor routine doesn’t work; people make much better music from a place of encouragement and comfort. If the music is good, everyone is happy and vice versa – there are no losers! That doesn’t mean mistakes aren't corrected or standards are lowered, but feedback comes from a positive encouraging (maybe humorous!) stance, and not a harsh or critical one. This works well long-term, because as musicianship is developed, the ensemble as a whole becomes stronger.
Career highlights include:
Sing it Loud Virtual Concert 2.0 | 20
21
Sing it Loud Virtual Concert | 2020
Kenilworth Lions Carols in the Clouds | 2020
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL SING IT LOUD (Royal Spa Centre) | 2019
Paris Tour | Sing it Loud | 2019
Upton Choir Festival | Judge | 2018
Vic's Voices (BBC CWR) | Musical Director, Composer | 2017
‘Outstanding Choir’ award, Upton Festival | Musical Director | Sing it Loud 2015, 2017
Kicking Off Christmas (St. Mary's Church, Warwick) | Sing it Loud & Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra | 2016
Hello Mr. Blue Sky Album | Musical Director, Arranger & Executive Producer | Sing it Loud 2016
Hello Mr. Blue Sky Belgium Tour | Musical Director | Sing it Loud 2016
Sheer Harmony Massed Chorus (Royal Spa Centre) | Musical Director | Spa Centre 2016
percussionist
Now living in Coventry, Seb grew up in Bristol, went to St. Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, and attended the Bristol Easton Salvation Army. All of which helped in forming his character and abilities today.
As with most 'Salvationists', Seb's performing debut was with the Salvation Army, in the junior choir known as the 'Singing Company' at the age of 6. Regular performances with the group in Bristol's Colston Hall took away any performance anxiety!
Seb began playing percussion and drum kit a few years later, where private lessons with Colin Aldridge were extremely productive. With Colin as his teacher, Seb progressed to Trinity Guildhall Drum Kit Grade 8.
Seb's first ensemble performance was with the Kingswood Music Centre Wind Band. Invited by his primary school trumpet teacher, John Watkys, Seb joined the Wind band playing percussion. The music Centre was a happy place, where many many hours were spent making music with like minded peers with direction from influential teachers and excellent musical role-models.
Initially drawn by the appeal of playing Phantom of the Opera Seb helped out his parents orchestra, The Bristol Millennium Orchestra, in his first performance with an adult ensemble. The annual concert was a favourite of the group, Proms in the Meadow - Iron Acton, as the entire village would gather and join in the festivities. The percussionist space wasn't filled, so Seb became a permanent fixture in the orchestra and at 13 years old significantly lowered the average age!
Eventually Seb progressed further and further playing & recording percussion with different ensembles including: Bristol Millennium Orchestra, Bristol Easton YP Band, Kingswood Area Music Centre Wind Band & Concert Band, South Glos. County Wind Orchestra, Salvation Brass, Bristol Easton Senior Band, Coventry City Corps Band, Coventry University Orchestral Ensemble, Territorial Music School 'A' Band, Coventry University Wind Band (Trombone) & The Household Troops Band.
Significant performances & recordings include:
Psalm of Thanks USA Tour & Album | Bristol Easton Salvation Army Band | 2015
Canada Tour | Salvation Brass 2015
Canada & America Tour | Household Troops Band 2015
O2 Arena (London) | The Salvation Army International Congress (Solo side drum & percussion ensemble) 2015
Litchfield Garrick Theatre | Adult & Family Ministries rally, Xylophone soloist | 2017
Reading Salvation Army Corps (UK) | Adult & family ministries rally, Xylophone soloist | 2018
Lord Mayors Show (London) | Household Troops Band | 2018
Old Orchard Beach Tour (USA) | Household Troops Band | 2018
Proclaim! CD/DVD | Salvation Brass (principle percussion, conductor* & video editor*) | 2019 (*one track only)
Royal Albert Hall (London) | The Salvation Army Fanfare team, side drum | 2019
appointments
Present
Sing it Loud, Leamington Spa | Musical Director | 2014+
Coventry Singers | Musical Director | 2014+
Burton Green Village Choir | Musical Director | 2015+
Earlsdon Park Village Choir | Musical Director | May 2017+
Bad Vibrations | Musical Director | June 2017+
Coventry City Salvation Army Songster Brigade | Songster Leader | Jan 2018+
Past
Coventry University Orchestral Ensemble | Student Conductor | 2012-2014
James Anderson Music Conservatory Band | Co-conductor | 2013
MenCho Mens Chorus | Musical Director & co-founder | 2014
Black Cab Choir | Vocal Coach, London | 2014
Unlimited Voices, Warwick | Vocal Coach | 2014-2016
Black Cab Choir | Vocal Coach, Coventry | 2015
The Windmill Singers | Conductor | 2016
Three Spires Harmony | Musical Director | 2016-2017
