Thomas Armstrong

Sir Thomas Armstrong (15 June 1898 – 26 June 1994) was an English organist, conductor, educationalist and adjudicator. He had a substantial influence on British music for well over half a century. From 1955 to 1968 he was principal of the Royal Academy of Music. He was knighted in 1958 for his services to music. Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong was born in Peterborough, the son of A.E. Armstrong, music teacher, organist of St. Augustine’s Church, Wood... more

Sir Thomas Armstrong (15 June 1898 – 26 June 1994) was an English organist, conductor, educationalist and adjudicator. He had a substantial influence on British music for well over half a century. From 1955 to 1968 he was principal of the Royal Academy of Music. He was knighted in 1958 for his services to music. Thomas Henry Wait Armstrong was born in Peterborough, the son of A.E. Armstrong, music teacher, organist of St. Augustine’s Church, Woodston, and conductor of the local orchestra and operatic society. Thomas became a choirboy at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace from 1907 to 1910 where he sang at the funeral of King Edward VII in Westminster Abbey in 1910. From 1911 to 1915 he attended The King's School, Peterborough. During this time he took lessons from his father and practised on the organ at Woodston every day before school, paying a boy a shilling each time for pumping the bellows. After a short period as organist of Thorney Abbey he became articled to Haydn Keeton,... less