James Thomas

Background

Thomas was born in Banbury, England.

Education

He was educated at Magdalen College School, Brackley, before going on to read music at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge where he was organ scholar.

Career

He has held several liturgical posts at cathedrals, including Blackburn, Chichester and Street Edmundsbury Cathedral. Upon graduating, he spent a year studying for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education. He was twice a finalist for the Tournemire Prize at the Street Albans International Organ Festival in both 1987 and 1988.

Upon returning to England in 1988, Thomas was appointed Assistant Organist of Blackburn Cathedral, a position he held for three years before moving to Chichester Cathedral as Assistant Organist, in 1991.

Whilst at Chichester Cathedral, Thomas was also Director of Music of The Prebendal School, the choir school. In September 1997, he left Chichester to become Director of Music at Street Edmundsbury Cathedral.

Since then, the choir has made several CDs and broadcasts on the British Broadcasting Corporation. In 1998 he was appointed conductor of the Cambridgeshire Choral Society, a post he held until 2004 Thomas has given recitals up and down the country, as well as in France and Germany. In 1995, he was a semi-finalist in the Royal College of Organists "Performer of the Year" competition.

Achievements

• He gained the Fellow of the Royal College of Organists diploma in 1985 and was awarded the prize for extemporisation. He spent two years at the Rouen Conservatoire, taught by Louis Thiry, and was awarded a Premier Prix in organ performance in 1988.