Our Principal Conductor, David Thomas, was educated at Hereford Cathedral School, and the Royal College of Music, London. He was a self-taught trumpeter, right up until becoming a student at the R.C.M.
He studied trumpet with the legendary performers, Ernest Hall and David Mason, as well as undertaking piano studies and conducting.
After graduation he became Head of Music at a Herefordshire High School where he remained for over twenty years. During this time he was an active freelance trumpet player, and was also conductor of the local G & S Society for more than fifteen years.
In 1996, he took early retirement from his full-time post, but David continued to teach brass instruments and conduct one of the Herefordshire County Orchestra’s for the Education Authority’s Music Service, up to the summer of 2009, when he decided to find more time for himself and family, and so relinquished the part-time music work. He still intends to keep busy as a trumpet player if at all possible.
David first played lead trumpet in the Wind Band, in 1990, along with other family members who played saxophone, clarinet and tuba. He took over the role of Conductor in 1997.
Our Assistant Musical
Director, David Kemp, studied organ with Christopher Stokes and conducting
with James Gaddarn at Trinity College of Music, in London.
Following his graduation in 1979 he took up Post-Graduate studies at Avery
Hill College. He remained in London until 1993 and notable performances
include Elgar's 'The Kingdom' at Southwark Cathedral, Vivaldi's 'Gloria' at
St Mary le Strand and Elgar's 'Dream of Gerontius' at St Paul's Furzedown,
where he was Director of Music. In 1993 he moved to Eastbourne, where he and
his choir deputised at the following cathedrals: Southwark, Worcester,
Portsmouth, Lichfield and St Paul's. In October 1999 he was appointed
Director of Music at Bury Parish Church and led a successful music
department at Castlebrook High School.
In April 2005, David moved to Herefordshire, when he was appointed Head of
Music at Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard.
As well as being our Assistant Conductor, David finds time to be an active
member of the local community. He serves as a town councillor in Bromyard.
