All Festival Players, past and present were deeply saddened at the news that our former Chairman, Musical Director, Life President and friend, Brian 'Tommy' Thomas, has passed away aged 89.
In his own inimitable words, earlier in 2020 Tommy had been 'awarded a certificate by the Bone Marrow Failure Clinic and the prize of regular blood transfusions'. Sadly, during a stay in Addenbrooke's in early December he contracted COVID, and died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Wednesday 23rd December 2020.
Tommy conducted the first Festival Players production in 1973 and went on to MD or direct a further 58 society productions. He conducted over 60 symphony concerts, had his orchestral works published and publicly performed and wrote compositions used in television. However, his first love was musical theatre and, although he was Musical Director for countless productions with other societies, he always regarded Festival Players as his 'home team'.
Tommy was an incredibly special man, with personal connections to so many of us. We will miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with his wife Linda, son Ian and their family.