A concert to raise funds and launch the Forest of Dean Musical Bursary (previously Forest Singers Bursary) was held at Coleford Baptist Church recently. The Drybrook and District Male Voice Choir and five of the past bursary winners performed to a large and enthusiastic audience.

The concert opened with a set from the ever popular Drybrook Choir which included ‘This Is My Forest’ adapted from ‘This Is My Cornwall’ with the permission of the composer. The first of the previous bursary winners to perform was Ollie Phelps together with his sister Ella singing ‘All I Want’ by Olivia Rodrigo and ’Honest’ by Song House, Ollie played the piano accompaniment to both songs. Their performance was very warmly received by the audience. Ollie is busy playing with a number of bands and is involved in writing and recording music.

Next to perform was Connor Edwards on trumpet with a brilliant rendition of ‘The Lazy Trumpeter’ by Edrich Seibert, accompanied on piano by Elizabeth Oxlett-Forster. Connor returned in the second half to play ‘You Raise Me Up’ by Rolf Lovland and Bendan Graham. Connor is working on his Music Diploma and grade eight piano and has been selected for the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain which involves two residential week-long courses and two concerts. He is currently playing front row cornet with the A.W.Parker Brass Band and also plays principal trumpet with the Newport Symphony Orchestra. Connor recently played at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and is playing regularly in swing bands.

Cellist Samuel Silman-Clyde was next on stage to play ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’ accompanied on piano by Joe, his brother. He followed that with ‘Julio-O-Summer’ His terrific performance of both pieces was rightly cheered and clapped. Sam is in his first year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is studying under Rosie Biss, principal cellist of the Welsh National Opera.

He has also been selected to play in the orchestral pit for the Sweeney Todd musical at the Sherman Theatre. Sam is a member of Trio Lanzino who have entered the finals of the John Ireland Competition. He has performed at the Cheltenham Music Festival, the Three Choirs and the Cotswold Playhouse and was a member of the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra for five years.

Connor played his second piece after the interval and, once the prolonged cheering had stopped, was followed on stage by Frankie D’amato. Frankie sang ‘The Man That Got Away’ and then ‘The Wizard and I’ finishing her wonderful performance to rapturous applause. Since her bursary award in 2022, Frankie has moved to Cheltenham to pursue her passion for musical theatre.

She has performed in lead roles at the Everyman Theatre in ‘Singing In The Rain’ and ‘The Addams Family’ as well appearing at the Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre in ‘The Wedding Singer’ Frankie plans a move to London next year in order to further her career in the world of theatre.

Next up was Jack Lythaby on Horn playing ‘Lark In The Clear Air’ arranged by Gordon Langford and ‘Variations On A Welsh Theme’ by Peter Kneale, accompanied for both pieces by Tracey Gwinn on piano. Both pieces received tremendous applause from the appreciative audience.

Jack graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2022 with a first-class honours degree. He studied there under the tutelage of tenor horn virtuoso Owen Farr. Whilst there, he won the college’s Philip Jones Brass Ensemble prize as well as the June Emerson Launchpad prize with his quartet Vulcan Brass.

Off the concert platform, Jack has been involved with multiple high profile CD recordings, from the critically acclaimed anniversary recordings of Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Gustav Holst to the solo CD’s James Fountain and Peter Moore. In October he will be recording Gavin Higgins’ Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, having given the world premier performance at the BBC Proms in 2022.

The Drybrook Male Voice Choir performed their second set of the evening which included ‘Ode To The Wye’ written by choir member Robin Wintour. A brilliant performance by the men was given tremendous applause.

The finale was Frankie D’Amato together with the male voice choir singing ‘The Sound of Music’ a performance that will live in the memory of everyone for a very long time.

This wonderful evening of music evening raised much needed funds for the bursary to be able to offer local musicians a little help with their ambitions. The organisers’ grateful thanks go to the performers as well as all those involved in making the evening such a success. They would also like to thank ‘Puzzlewood’, ‘Forest Deli’, ‘Blooming Mad Florist’ and ‘At Beautiful Nail Bar’ for their generous donation of raffle prizes.

The Forest of Dean Musical Bursary is a registered as a charity with HMRC (ZD 13186) and is entirely funded by donations from the general public and local businesses as well as fund-raising concerts, events and sponsored activities. The Forest of Dean Musical Bursary awards funds to local musicians to help them with their ambitions in music. The awards are given for many different purposes including; the purchase of instruments or equipment, the cost of coaching or attending college and/or associated travel costs.

For more information or to donate/offer sponsorship visit our Facebook page ‘Forest of Dean Musical Bursary’ or phone David on 07563792553.