Acclaimed trombonist Chris Thomas has spoken of his delight after he was named a Rath Artist in his own right.

Chris, now principal trombonist of the Flowers Band, had been a Rath Artist as part of his longstanding position with The Cory Band – and will continue to be perform on Rath Trombones, with which he has enjoyed a long association.

Reflecting on his continued association with Rath Trombones, Chris Thomas commented: “It’s relatively straightforward to attract sponsorship when you are part of an all-conquering, dynamic group, winning trophies and creating a new audience. When my membership of that group ended, Rath offered me stand-alone ‘Artist’ status, which was both surprising and flattering. It just shows that they appreciate the value in working and individuals, not just the big-name bands.

“I’m an amateur player, not a self-promoter and I’m not particularly ‘social’; a marketing team’s nightmare! It gives me immense pride to be associated with the great names in the current stable of Rath Artists and I will always strive to be worthy of their company.”

During a glittering performing career, Chris has amassed National Championship, British Open and European title wins. He has received the Don Lusher award at the Brass in Concert Championship on three occasions, won the British Open Solo Championships twice, been British trombone champion five times and has won the title of International Brass Musician of the Year.

He travels worldwide teaching and performing with many organisations and has delivered masterclasses in Sweden, Norway, Australia, the USA and Japan.

Chris, who performs on a Rath R6 trombone, continued: “When you go for a fitting at Rath, you know that every single component is brand new and was made very recently by the team of craftspeople in the next room. There are endless permutations in materials and finishes, all assembled and tested under the watchful eyes and ears of Tim Sidwell.

“The service at Rath is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. When I got my new R6, a period of exploration occurred, where different combinations of leadpipe and materials were tested not only in Rath’s testing room, but also at rehearsal and in performance. Tim has a very discerning ear and a seemingly endless supply of patience and after much to-ing and fro-ing, I have the setup that fits me.”

Chris added: “My R6 is completely customised to my needs, both as a principal trombone in a Championship Section band and as man with big hands with a natural preference for very free-blowing instruments. I have a ‘wide’ slide, which gives me a more comfortable left-hand grip that a standard slide. I have a selection of leadpipes that allow me to vary the resistance and response of the instrument.”

Find out more about Christ Thomas here.