Steve Wassell (Musical Director)​

Steven trained as an orchestral musician for six years, including three years at the Royal College of Music where he won the prestigious Brass Prize. He has conducted for forty five years, including Royal College of Music Junior Department (eighteen years) and many youth orchestras and bands at home and abroad. He is also a director and guest conductor of the professional Kent Sinfonia. Steve performed, met and conducted for the late Queen Elizabeth on several occasions and has played and conducted many musical shows in the west end and locally. He has also appeared in several films, TV and radio broadcasts, including  playing the music on the early Wallace and Grommit films.

 

​Katie Batchelor (Leader)​

Katie is a versatile classical and folk musician who originally trained on the Violin, Viola and Double Bass in Canterbury whilst at school. She successfully auditioned for the Kent Youth Orchestra which gave her valuable experience of playing a wide range of orchestral music. Katie studied for a Bachelor of Music degree at Cardiff University, taking a full part in the music department, where she also began to explore more folk music. Katie joined the orchestra in the summer of 2024, after moving back to Canterbury, and was pleased to accept the role of Leader in September 2025. She also plays with the Canterbury Symphony Orchestra and is currently studying with Flo Peycelon.

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Beryl Chalk (Chair)

I began, musically, aged 6 on the piano which I loved, and played for many years, adding the recorder family and whistles at 11.  I had always wanted to play the violin and I started in 1980 until our school orchestra (which I ran with a colleague) was missing a double bass. I was presented one by said colleague and told , " It‘s tuned in 4ths and it‘s 1s 1s and 5s. My introduction to CMM came from a chance meeting in the supermarket with a friend who belonged to the orchestra; she asked if I could play in their next concert as their DB player could‘t do it. I played, survived, and joined the orchestra in 2009.

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​David Ovenden (Treasurer)

On my 60th birthday I opened a large oblong box which to my great surprise contained a trombone. This borrowed beast came with  5 lessons. My daughter Sarah, who is a professional musician, thought it would be a good thing if I fully understood the trauma of learning an instrument! The lessons were not very good - the teacher clearly couldn’t see the point of trying to reach a 60 year old who had never read music how to play an instrument. I had other ideas and courtesy of Sarah, I ended up being taught by our very own Steve who after 18 months enrolled me into CMM where I’ve been for the last four and a half years. Playing in an orchestra is similar in so many ways to playing rugby and although that didn’t teach me much about music, the physical training helps when I am carrying the timps in and out of rehearsals.  I’ve been treasurer of CMM for two years now and spend an hour or so each week balancing our accounts with the bank’s statements. Not difficult but weirdly satisfying when everything works out exactly as it should. Seven years into my musical journey now and I wouldn’t change a thing apart from looking for some lighter timps.