Blue Light Symphony Orchestra on Crimewatch This Week

12 October 2026

The Surrey Police officer who founded the Blue Light Symphony Orchestra will appear on BBC’s Crimewatch this week talking about how music can help officers process trauma, improve their mental wellbeing and make new connections.

Det Sgt Seb Valentine, who works for Surrey Police tackling child exploitation, will speak on the programme about how the orchestra, set up a decade ago, has created opportunities for musicians from across the emergency service community to play together.

Surrey Police Federation supports the charity, and helped fund its recent Bath Music Week.

The Federation will also honour Det Sgt Valentine at its annual awards ceremony in December, where the officer will receive a Contribution to Policing Award.

Det Sgt Valentine worked as a professional opera singer for several years before joining the police, and was inspired to set up the Blue Light Symphony Orchestra in 2016 when he realised how difficult it was for musicians working shifts in the emergency services to commit to attending regular local orchestra and band rehearsals.

As conductor and organiser of the orchestra, Det Sgt Valentine coordinates twice-yearly workshops and biennial concerts, and he is passionate about the power of music therapy.

He said: “On Crimewatch, I’m going to talk about how people can use music therapeutically. Most people already do this: if you go for a run, you put on a playlist of upbeat music that's going to motivate you to get your heart rate up and help you put in a bit more effort.

"If you want to wind down at the end of the day, you'll put on a playlist of relaxing, slower music that's going to help calm your nervous system and get you ready for sleep.

“Everybody knows how different music makes them feel, and music therapy is a more in-depth, scientific way of doing that. But the other thing I'd say is that these things are all great, but I think it's easy to forget, with the availability of recorded music, how different live music can feel.

"And especially making music with other people – it opens up a much larger range of benefits: the social benefits, connection, interaction and the expression of emotion, which is so important.”

Watch Det Sgt Valentine on Crimewatch on Friday (16 October). www.bluelightsymphony.com