About
After more than a year of online music we are delighted to be meeting again in person.
Founded in November 1997, CoMA East Midlands explores and has fun with new and experimental music. About half of the great music we play comes from composers in the ensemble. We welcome players of any instrument (including voice) and all standards – the only prerequisite would be knowledge of musical notation.
As well as playing music we have CoMA Inspires, a discussion group for composers which meets online. Let us know if you would like to join the discussion.
Despite 2020 and 2021 being nothing like we expected, our new Musical Director Joe Davies made a great start. In March 2020 he led the ensemble and all-comers for a great ‘Come and play’ day to rehearse and perform a fantastic programme of new music by women – part of CoMA’s International Festival of Contemporary Music. Since then, he has helped us to work together creating and performing music online. Recordings from our online workshops and concerts can be heard on YouTube.
We are working on a programme of music exploring the theme of games for our concert on Sunday May 14th.
As well as staging our own showcase concerts every year, we enjoy collaborating with others. Recent collaborations include:
- March 2018 Words and Music: Festival of Contemporary Music. Leicester University. As part of CoMA’s national festival of contemporary music, we worked with Nottingham’s DIY Poets to perform and interpret compositions and poems developed specially for the festival. Our performance in Leicester was followed by a performance at the Nottingham Poetry Festival in April.
- March 2017 EMC2. De Montfort University, Leicester. A celebration of experimental music with composers and performers associated with the Experimental Music Catalogue, and with staff and students from the university.
In the past we have played at CBSO Centre, Birmingham Conservatoire, the Wirksworth Festival, Nottingham’s Café Scientifique and the Brewhouse Arts Centre (Burton-upon-Trent).
Composers are welcome to approach us with new music and to come and participate in or observe the ensemble.

Rehearsals
We meet in the lovely All Hallows Church, West Bridgford, NG2 5BP
Rehearsals are on Sundays: 1:15 to 315 pm. We meet monthly, usually on the first or second Sunday of each month.
2022
- Sunday 11 September
- Sunday 9 October
- Sunday 6 November
- Sunday 11 December
2023
- Sunday 15 January
- Sunday 12 February
- Sunday 12 March
- Sunday 2 April
- Sunday 7 May
- Sunday 14 May Concert details to be confirmed
- Sunday 11 June
- Sunday 2 July
Composers' group: CoMA Inspires
Coma Inspires Online
CoMA Inspires, our discussion group for composers, is meeting regularly over Zoom. Contact us if you would like to know more.