Together with Cornelius Cardew, Richard Rodney Bennett, Nicholas Maw and others he was active in starting an unofficial New Music Club.
On leaving the LSO in August 1976, of the next two years he freelanced in the studios, additionally serving as Principal Trumpet of the English Chamber Orchestra during that time.
In 1976 he founded his own Wren Orchestra, and sponsored by London's Capital Radio, their first concert series took place at the Mermaid Theatre in the summer of 1976.
On leaving the London Symphony Orchestra, a chance conversation with a colleague James Watson generated Watson's suggestion that, similar to Elgar Howarth's work with Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the latter's development of a significantly wider repertoire, Snell might be interested in similar work with Desford Colliery Band.
He now focusses on composition rather than arranging: his work Gallery was the test piece for the British Brass Band Championships held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 2017.
Howard Snell currently lives in South-West France with Angela, a fellow musician and his wife of 54 years, but finds himself as active as ever.