James studied organ, flute and composition at the Royal College of Music in London, and later at St Catherine’s College, Oxford with Stephen Sondheim.

He has written extensively for the theatre, TV and Film, including incidental music for over twenty plays, plus the stage musicals Yarico (Crampton Theatre, Washington DC), Killing Rasputin (Bridewell Theatre), Doctor Livingstone, I Presume . . . (Riverside Studios) and New Edna, The Millennial Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket, London) starring Dame Edna Everage – as well as the collaborative musicals The Challenge (Shaw Theatre) and The Ten Commandments (Jermyn St). 

He has composed the music for over 100 television documentaries and dramas, including the Emmy Award winning Ten Days to D-Day (Channel 4) and  Adolf and Eva (ITV network) which won a Gold Badge at the New York Film Festival, , as well as the feature films Another Life (2001), starring Ioan Gruffudd, Nick Moran and Tom Wilkinson – and Detention (2011) starring David Carradine in his final role.

He wrote and presented the Channel 4 documentaries What Made Mozart Tic? (2004) and Addict’s Symphony (2014).

His book Life, Interrupted, (Hodder/Headline) was published in April 2006 and entered the bestseller lists in its first week.

From 2011 to 2023 he was one half – and co-writer (with the late Kit Hesketh-Harvey) of the  comedy cabaret duo Kit & McConnel.

In 2024 James teamed up with Ella McCready to form a new cabaret duo: McConnel:McCready. With an entirely new show of original topical songs & sketches, they are regulars at London’s The Pheasantry and The Crazy Coqs (Zedel, Piccadilly), as well as festivals and theatres up and down the country. (New page for McConnel & McCready in the works). Do follow them on Instagram: mcconnel.mccready.cabaret

James lives in Norfolk.