CF Music Education Percussion Ensembles have been directed by Celi Johnston since 2003, offering a structured programme for percussion and piano students to develop their ensemble performance skills. The programme consists of three ensembles: beginners, intermediate, and advanced, catering for students of all ages and abilities.
The ensembles rehearse weekly at Whitchurch High School, where they benefit from access to a wide range of both tuned and untuned percussion instruments. The repertoire is diverse, encompassing specific percussion ensemble works, popular arrangements, and original compositions written by senior students.
Members are encouraged to enhance their skills further by joining the percussion sections of other CF Music Education ensembles, fostering a well-rounded musical education.
The CF Music Education Percussion Ensembles have achieved remarkable success, consistently showcasing their talent across prestigious platforms. They have delivered numerous performances at the Regional Festival of Music for Youth, with several ensembles advancing to the National Festival in Birmingham, highlighting their excellence on a national stage. Their impressive track record also includes performances at the Day of Percussion at both the Royal College of Music in London and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Most recently, they had the honour of performing for the renowned percussionist Ray Cooper, a testament to their growing influence and musical artistry in the percussion community.
Please see the below for Percussion Ensembles’ full timetable for 2024 to 25.
Both percussion ensembles rehearse in Whitchurch High School Lower Site, CF14 1WL.
There are 32 rehearsals and 4 concerts in total for all percussion groups.
Percussion Ensembles (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) Schedule:
| Session Number | Ensemble | Day | Time | Location | Date |
| 1 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 15th September |
| 2 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 22nd September |
| 3 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 29th September |
| 4 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 6th October |
| 5 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 13th October |
| 6 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 20th October |
| HALF TERM (27th October – 31st October 2025) | |||||
| 7 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 3rd November |
| 8 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 10th November |
| 9 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 17th November |
| 10 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 24th November |
| 11 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 1st December |
| 12 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 8th December |
| Cardiff High School Concert (Saturday 13th December 2025) | |||||
| CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS (22nd December 2025 – 02nd January 2026) | |||||
| 13 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 5th January |
| 14 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 12th January |
| 15 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 19th January |
| 16 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 26th January |
| 17 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 2nd February |
| 18 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 9th February |
| HALF TERM (16th February – 20th February 2026) | |||||
| 19 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 23rd February |
| 20 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 2nd March |
| 21 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 9th March |
| 22 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 16th March |
| (Beg Perc) Spring Showcase March 2026 – Venue tbc | |||||
| (Int + Adv Perc) Whitchurch High School Spring Showcase (Monday 23rd March 2026) | |||||
| EASTER HOLIDAYS (30th March – 10th April 2026) | |||||
| 23 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 13th April |
| 24 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 20th April |
| 25 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 27th April |
| BANK HOLIDAY | |||||
| 26 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 11th May |
| 27 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 18th May |
| HALF TERM (25th May – 29th May 2026) | |||||
| 28 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 1st June |
| 29 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 8th June |
| 30 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 15th June |
| 31 | Percussion Ensembles | Monday | Beginner (5:00pm to 6:00pm) Intermediate (6:00pm to 7:00pm) Advanced (7:00pm to 8:00pm) | Whitchurch High School | 22nd June |
| (B Perc + Int Perc) Whitchurch High School Concert (Monday 29th June 2026) | |||||
Conductor Biography
Celi Johnston is a musician and educator with over two decades of experience in music education. She graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003 and furthered her expertise by completing a postgraduate diploma in Music Therapy.
Since 2003, Celi has been a dedicated ensemble coach and peripatetic percussion tutor with CF Music Education. Her career includes many years as a classroom teacher at Monmouth Comprehensive School, where she also worked with the Gwent Senior Percussion Ensemble. Celi is currently a classroom teacher in the Music Department at Whitchurch High School, a position she thoroughly enjoys as it enables her to collaborate with young musicians in a range of ensembles.