I began conducting small choirs in my early teens as organist of St Peter's Lutheran Church, Plymouth, where for special services we would have a group singing an anthem, such as Rutter's All Things Bright and Beautiful. This continued at university: as an undergraduate at Oxford I served as assistant musical director of a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard; as a postgraduate in Sheffield I worked part-time as musical director of St Mark's Church, Broomhill. At St Mark's I had the privilege of conducting a splendid mixed-voice choir of about 25, which was enlarged twice a year to sing larger, more ambitious works such as Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and the full-length musical Cousin John by John Earwaker, which told the story of John the Baptist .

 

Whilst working at St Mark's (and trying to finish a PhD!) I became involved in other community and educational musical projects: as the music adjudicator for the Birkdale Festival of Music and Performing Arts; choir master and conductor for Sheffield's production of Paul Field's Cargo; assistant musical director of the Sheffield Chorale; and musical director of the 8-voice choir Cantores.

 

Having recently moved to London, I am delighted to take up the post of musical director of Streatham Voices.

Andy Thomas