Developing high quality music education in the community...
Welcome to the Yorke Trust!

Music can make an enormous contribution to a happy life. It is something which should be available to all young people, above all to those who have musical talent which might otherwise remain unfulfilled.  

Our aim at the Yorke Trust is to provide opportunities for students and children from all walks of life to study and to perform in the un-pressurised atmosphere of the North Norfolk countryside, away from the competitive environment of university and school.  We have been doing this to the highest possible standards since the foundation of the Trust in 1984, and we have been doing it virtually free of charge.  
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Our work began with the Yorke Mini-Bass Project, an innovative scheme to enable children to play the double bass, for which we received generous funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.  Acquisition of premises in Norfolk enabled us to broaden our horizons and focus on singing as well as providing facilities for instrumental courses and workshops for children.
Trustees invite you to join them in planning for the future and help continue this valuable work in the years ahead.  You can do this in a number of ways: by coming to events; by making a donation or by remembering us when making your will. 

Thank you for your support!

   -  Rodney Slatford, OBE

                            
Yorke Trust Benefit Concerts 2021-2022

A new series of concerts in support of young musicians who have been unable to perform to live audiences because of the pandemic.

 Please see What's On for details of all concerts which are on Sundays at 3pm in The Old Chapel, Burnham Road, South Creake, NR21 9JF


                                         PLEASE NOTE

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The advertised concert on Saturday 29 January 2022 has had to be

postponed due to reasons connected with the pandemic. Matthew

Wadsworth has offered his apologies and will be appearing in the

second series of these concerts in the spring.


               Next concert Sunday 30 January 2022 at 19.00

                                     Ensemble l'eveil

                       Daniel Swani – flute Salomé Rateau – violin Kate Conway – viola de gamba Jack Gonzalez-Harding – harpsichord

Founded in 2021 by the ground-breaking baroque French violinist, Salomé Rateau and Purcell School alumni, the brilliant young harpsichordist Jack Gonzalez-Harding invites you to pilgrimage with them and enjoy a programme including gems of the baroque catalogue with works by Bach, Telemann and others.

There is no charge for this concert which has been made possible by generous support from a number of private sponsors including David Wright who is providing the harpsichord.

There will be a retiring collection to help defray expenses and tickets should be reserved from Carol Jennings at 01328 738482, Text 07899 771366 or by email to carol.jennings2@btinternet.com.

Light refreshments will be available after the concert.   

Please note, this concert starts at 19.00.


Parking in the Yorke Trust’s orchard is not advised at present because of the wet weather. Please use Church Lane instead.





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The Tempest by Henry Purcell  Summer Opera 2019

Photographs by Samuel McMullen 
Erard Grand Pianoforte, No 732, London, ca. 1840

​We are proud to promote this unique instrument we have in our Chapel!

Privately owned, this wonderful instrument is on loan to the Yorke Trust and, having been completely restored, resides in our Chapel ready for concerts.
The Sunday School Room has a new roof!

Many thanks to a generous private donation and grants from Geoffrey Watling Charity, Shelroy Trust and Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (the latter two administered by Norfolk Community Fund), the leaky Sunday School Room roof, guttering and drainpipes have been completely replaced.

This room is vital to the work of the Yorke Trust as it provides storage for the props, costumes, lighting and staging used in the Yorke Trust productions.  It sprung a leak during a storm a couple of years ago and was patched up as a temporary measure having  not had any major repairs since it was built a hundred years ago. The builder recommended a full roof replacement and is now completely water tight, the timbers have been treated and hopefully the roof will not need any more repairs for another hundred years!

We are very grateful to the valiant volunteers from Wells-next-the-Sea Men’s Shed, Mark, Richard, Peter and Terry who helped to clear the Sunday School Room ready for the repairs and then returned three weeks later to put everything back and  to Robert McNaughtan for providing cake to keep us all going.​

The Yorke Trust launches a new Friends scheme!

Our aim at the Yorke Trust is to provide opportunities for students and children from all walks of life to study and to perform in the un-pressurised atmosphere of the North Norfolk countryside, away from the competitive environment of university and school. We have been doing this since 1984 and we have been doing it virtually free of charge.
Trustees invite you to join them in helping to continue this valuable work in the years ahead.

By becoming a Friend of The Yorke Trust, you join a group of supporters whose generosity provides a regular income to help us fulfil our aims.

For more information, visit our "Become a Friend" page on the website or download the Friends Application Form which has all the information you need.
The Yorke Trust           |          UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. ​1158927          |           Phone: +44 1328 823501