In 1980 Thurlow succeeded Dr John Birch as Organist and Master of the Choristers of Chichester Cathedral.
He has travelled with the Cathedral Choir and the RSCM to France, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa and the United States of America.
He has been credited with greatly improving the quality of music at the cathedral by expanding the choir's repertoire and building its reputation on the world stage.
[4] Thurlow has long been a vocal opponent of mixed voice treble lines in cathedral choirs.
In March 2013, Thurlow appeared in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, in which the comedian John Bishop traced his great-great grandfather to the city of Chichester.