Carleton Etherington B.Mus, FRCO, ARAM, LRAM, Dip.RAM

Carleton Etherington was appointed Conductor of the Society in 2005.  He is Organist and Director of Music at Tewkesbury Abbey and combines that post with teaching and performing.   He also directs Pershore Choral and the summer festival of sacred music at Tewkesbury Musica Deo Sacra.  Carleton was educated at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music and held posts at St Bride’s Fleet Street and Leeds Parish Church before his present appointment in 1996.

In 2016 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians.  During his career, Carleton has won the Paisley International Organ Competition and the Royal College of Organist’s ‘Performer of the Year’. He has performed throughout Europe, Australia and the USA, broadcasts regularly on Radio 3’s Choral Evensong and has won considerable acclaim for his CD recordings. Carleton is married to Katie (soprano) and they have two children.

Thomas Hawkes B.Mus, PGDip

Thomas was born in Paderborn, Germany, where he had his first organ lessons with Ulrich Schneider and Andreas Konrad as well as his first organist role at St Christopher’s Garrison Church. He then spent two years learning the organ with Jonathan Lilley at Ely Cathedral before going to the University of York where he completed his Music BA and Postgraduate Diploma in 2017.

Following this, Thomas held posts at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, King Edward’s School, Witley, and St David’s Cathedral (where he was the acting Assistant Director of Music). He subsequently spent a year studying Church Music at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg im Breisgau, where he studied organ with Matthias Maierhofer and David Franke, as well as choral conducting with Frank Markowitsch.

From September 2023, Thomas was Chapel Organist at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.  In July 2024 he was appointed Organist and Choir Master at Cirencester Parish Church,

Thomas has performed on television and radio for BBC Wales and is featured on the St David’s Cathedral choir 2022 Christmas CD. Thomas frequently works as a choral conductor and accompanist, and has worked with ensembles including Leeds Festival Chorus, Stowmarket Chorale and the University of York Choir. Thomas is also a regular accompanist for the Freiburger Münster choirs.

Outside of music, he enjoys reading about history and watching Doctor Who.