RIP Mark Thomas

 

Bafta-winning Twin Town film score composer Mark Thomas dies as director Kevin Allen leads tributes

The Penclawdd-born composer won critical acclaim worldwide for his amazing body of work

WalesOnLine

By Robert Dalling

July 19, 2023

 

Tributes have been paid to talented Swansea composer Mark Thomas, who was behind the score to Twin Town and major Hollywood movies, after he sadly died. Originally from Penclawdd, Mr Thomas was a classically trained multi-instrumentalist proficient in music styles from jazz, rock, folk, choral, electro acoustic, sampled and synthesised, to full-scale symphonic film scores.

After studying music composition and orchestration at university, the former Gowerton Grammar School pupil played violin with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, then joined the Royal Ballet Orchestra as co-leader. He was invited to join the original orchestra for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom Of The Opera, and went on to work in the recording studio with Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, John Barry, Michael Kamen, Alan Silvestri and John Williams.

The father-of-three composed his own unique scores for movies and television shows to worldwide critical acclaim. He won a Bafta award for his score to cult British comedy Twin Town, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the outstanding main title music category for the theme he composed for Showtime / BBC2 comedy series Episodes.

He also successfully scored many feature films including Dog Soldiers, Agent Cody Banks II for MGM, the Magic Roundabout Movie for Pathé / Miramax, Shadows in the Sun, Greyfriars Bobby, the dark horror feature Wilderness for Ecosse Films and Flicka 3 and Marley And Me 2 for 20th Century Fox.

Keith Allen, who directed Twin Town, said he was "gutted" to announce the news, and, paying tribute to Mr Thomas, described him as a "brilliant musician" who was a joy to work with. He wrote: "I’m absolutely gutted to announce the heartbreaking news that my dear, dear friend and collaborator, Mark Thomas, has passed away after bravely battling an awful illness.

"Mark was an insanely talented musician, composer, arranger and a truly great friend. We’ve known each other since county youth and orchestra days. I chose him to compose the score for my first feature film 25 years ago and he worked on every project since. Working with him was such a joyful experience. He was a brilliant musician, who’s commitment and dedication I will never be lucky enough to experience again. His mesmerising score for Under Milk Wood was something to behold.

"Mark truly loved what he did. He was never happier than when he had a baton in his hand at Abbey Road or in Prague and the film game is a poorer place without him. He was a proud dad of Imogen, Rosana and Tristam, a doting grandad and much loved husband of Luz Marie, who lovingly nursed him through the last painful year. They were married at an emotional ceremony in hospital last week. I send you so much love, my dear friend … fly high, my lovely Penclawdd boy."

Apart from his feature films credits, Mr Thomas's work in television was also extensive in comedy, drama and animation he also composed for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Among his final pieces of work were feature films Zoo, Last Summer and La Cha Cha.

Speaking to us back in 2005, Mr Thomas explained his delight at realising his lifelong ambition to score a Hollywood film, after he was drafted in to lay music to Hot Tamale, starring former Baywatch beauty Carmen Electra and Randy Spelling. He told us at the time: “It was always my ambition to write the score to a Hollywood film before I’m 50, and now I’ve done it. It is a privilege to work in this industry.’’

Paul McFadden, a friend of Mr Thomas's, said: "It’s a very sad day when a creative music force that was Mark is taken away from us. I’d known Mark since 1987. I was a 16-year-old boy from the valleys trying to break into the recording industry. The first session I was involved with was with Mark. Even though I was just the 'tea boy' he made a big effort to put me at ease and get me involved in whatever way he could. I had total admiration for the man from the get go.

"Many years of collaboration followed until I moved to London to further my career and in 2003, to my shock and joy, found out that Mark was the composer on Cody Banks 2, a feature film I was working on with Kevin Allen. He was still an amazing composer lifting the soundtrack that we were working on at the time to new sonic heights.

"After that we saw each other on many occasions messaging each other when our busy schedules would allow. Dropping in for a cup of tea (which he made me make). Mark was a witty, creative powerhouse. Wales and the whole of the music industry have lost a musical genius."

Another of his friends, Michael Kennedy, added: "I’ve really got no words to convey just how lovely, humble, talented and generous Mark Thomas was. We first met, thanks to John Hywel Morris, at a PRS for Music event in Monmouth and Mark came up to me to say how much he enjoyed my radio shows. I was speechless as he was (and still is) a giant in the world of music.

"I was lucky enough to interview him and spend time with him at his home to discuss projects we planned to work on. They never happened because we always thought we had all the time in the world to work on them. Thinking of you my friend and the mark you’ve left on the lives of so many people."

THOMAS, Mark

Born: 1956, Penelawdd, Wales, U.K.

Died: 7/16/2023, London, England, U.K.

 

Mark Thomas’ westerns – composer:

The Meeksville Ghost – 2001

Hooded Angels, - 2002

Moondance Alexander – 2007