About Artful Musical Arrangements
Tim Cambray has been involved in music from an early age, first learning piano but graduating onto wind instruments at secondary school. He started playing clarinet, played oboe in the University orchestra, taking in french horn and alto saxophone en route. After University, he played in various orchestras until settling into the Colwell Arts Concert Band in 1985. A dalliance with the flute was followed by many years of playing the bassoon which quickly became his main instrument. The contra bassoon was added in 2010. In 2001, the Colwell Arts Concert Band became the Gloucestershire Symphonic Wind Orchestra and he assumed the Principal Bassoon’s chair which he still holds.
He has played in many different orchestras, windbands and three wind quintets. He has also been a pit orchestra player for several musicals and operas.
For the last fifteen years until retirement, he has taught wind instruments to individual pupils right up to grade 8.
His first conducting role came as Director of the Five Valleys Adult windband. This group of nearly 40 adults, with varying degrees of experience, presented a distinct challenge to his musical experience. His success with this group led, in 2008, to being appointed the Director (or Headteacher) for the whole of Five Valleys Music Centre (5VMC) under the Gloucestershire Music umbrella. At the same time, he was appointed conductor of the Cirencester Community Orchestra (CCO) both of which led to him being a visiting conductor for many other orchestras and windbands. He also had the delight of being Musical Director for several musicals.
During this time, there were termly concerts at 5VMC and for CCO and the repertoire covering classical and modern classical pieces, as well as opera, folk, musicals and film music.
Perhaps the most significant event he conducted was a Last Night of the Proms style concert in 2012, where the main piece was Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, with soloist Sarah Blackford. This piece, widely regarded as the ‘dry run’ for his magnificent 9th Symphony, is for orchestra, choir and piano soloist. With an orchestra of over sixty players and a choir of over a hundred, it truly was a magnificent spectacle.
It was during this time that arranging music came to the fore as first 5VMC, then CCO and finally the wind quintets, had a need for music specific to the instruments of the respective groups.
Since retirement from the Music Centre and teaching, he has maintained his playing but in- creased the amount of music he arranges.
What you see available on this web site is a culmination of many years of experience in the music industry. I hope you enjoy it.
Tim Cambray
December 2021