Charles John Thomas

Charles John Thomas was the director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 1862 to 1865. Prior to this appointment, he was the musical director of the Salt Lake Theatre.

Thomas was born on November 20, 1832, in Burnley, Lancashire, England, and by the time he was age nine, he was a member of an orchestra with his father, who trained him.

He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1851. During the 1850s, he traveled with an Italian opera company and composed music, some of which were played at London theatres.

After coming to Utah Territory in 1861, he kept involved in music. From 1865 to 1871, he lived in the St. George area, and then Beaver, Utah, where he organized choirs and taught music.

Thomas was asked by Brigham Young to return to Salt Lake City in 1871 and again take the lead of the Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra. In the following years in Salt Lake City Thomas formed the first male glee club in Salt Lake City in 1876. He also taught music lessons in Salt Lake City—Heber J. Grant was one of his students. ([1] See Ensign, "'I Have Learned to Sing': President Heber J. Grant's Struggle to Sing the Hymns of Zion")

After serving a mission to Great Britain, he was head of music for the Salt Lake Temple. He was appointed by Evan Stephens to lead a choir composed of Tabernacle Choir members who did not travel to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

He died on March 31, 1919.