Richard James is a composer, pianist, teacher and ABRSM examiner. Married to Becca, an artist, he has three children and now lives in Nantwich in Cheshire. Born in 1959, he grew up in Lowestoft in Suffolk, in earshot of the ebb and flow of the waves breaking on the shingle of Pakefield beach and has always felt a first-hand understanding of and love for the music of Benjamin Britten. His affinity with Britten really began in 1976 when the composer attended a rehearsal of the Suffolk Schools Symphony Orchestra and decided to write for the orchestra. The result was ‘Welcome Ode’ Op. 96, Britten’s last completed work which was performed to the Queen in 1977, just after his death, with Richard as Principal 2nd Violin. He was educated at Kirkley High School in his home town of Lowestoft before moving to Norwich City College for the sixth form. His musical studies were at the Royal College of Music from 1977-1981, studying with Anthony Milner, Richard Popplewell, Alasdair Graham (piano) and Norman Del Mar (conducting); he was awarded the Sir Adrian Scholarship Conducting Prize in 1980 and 1981. During his time at the College he was invited to conduct the first performance of a work by Gordon Jacob. A lovely moment occurred in 1977 when Richard met the 100 year old Sir Robert Mayer who informed him that he played the piano to Brahms when he was 11 – nice to meet someone who’d met Brahms! Richard started composing at the age of 10 and there are many early, very earnest, pastiche works from childhood which are now discarded. His career has largely been in education: Assistant Director of Music, Director of Music, House Master, Deputy Head and then Headmaster for the last nine years at St Mary’s School Shaftesbury, during which time composing and performing were secondary to other responsibilities. However, after a Retreat to Assisi, immediately followed by a school choir tour to Budapest in 2014, he felt inspired to write again and to devote his life fully to music. After a series of works composed specifically for students at St Mary’s and successful performances, he decided to say goodbye to school inspection preparation, fire alarms and employment issues and now lives the musical dream!