BA Hons
Sandra Colston
Musical Director for contemporary popular choirs, vocal ensembles and voice
Sandra is an acclaimed Choir Director and creator of multiple choirs on a community basis to high profile clients in the UK and worldwide, including; Dubai, London, New York, Paris, Berlin, N. Ireland, Barcelona. Sandra co-ordinates and organises tours, hiring touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours; planning and implementing fund-raising and promotional activities.
With a passion for music from an early age Sandra
began by learning the piano, classically and
modern. With a new found love of vocal harmonies
she continued her musical education through vocal
and instrumental ABRSM grades, A-levels and also
Bachelor of Honours Music. Throughout this time
Sandra was gaining much experience with choirs,
quartets, bands, orchestras at every point she could.
Sandra's musical career started in teaching;
privately and within schools and further education
all involving creating choirs as well as adjudicating
music festivals and competitions. At one stage
Sandra was in such demand she was running 6
different school or college choirs a week! Soon
becoming a multi award winner with choir
performances as well as arranger of contemporary/
pop choir scores - songs you wouldn’t expect a choir
to perform.
Following 13 years within education institutes, Sandra decided to follow a more intense choir path, this project led her to be Founder and Musical Director of Funky Voices, Essex and Suffolk’s largest award winning modern community choir Funky Voices. Under Sandra's guidance many choirs and groups, including Funky Voices have; recorded and released multiple choir CDs on iTunes and Amazon, television and radio appearances broadcast worldwide and further awards including; ‘Best repertoire and conductor’ - International Pop Choir Festival Berlin, ‘Inspirational person of the year’ - Heart FM Awards, ‘Unsung Hero’ Highly Commended – Pride of Essex Awards. This year Sandra has been invited to Buckingham Palace to HRH Queen's Garden Party in lieu of her musical services
Sandra's musical influences include; Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire and Naturally 7, to name a few. She now has over 80 self penned arrangements for pop contemporary choirs!… a huge catalogue!
“Music is a world within itself,
It's a language we all understand”
Stevie Wonder
Member of : The Association of British Choral Directors
"Natural Voice Practitioners"