THE YORKE TRUST

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.

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 Tea Concerts 2023
The second series of concerts in support of young musicians who have been unable to perform to live audiences because of the pandemic.

With the profession in unprecedented turmoil, aspiring young musicians are in desperate need of encouragement. This second series of benefit concerts takes place against an uncertain background and is supported by generous private sponsorship and also some seasoned professionals giving their services for which Trustees are extremely grateful.

Founded in 1984 the Trust’s first project was to develop an innovative scheme The Yorke Mini-Bass Project to enable children to take up the double bass using specially designed equipment suitable for small people. On the eve of the Trust’s fortieth anniversary we are proud to present some highly talented young bassists who, forty years ago, would not have had the opportunity to take up the instrument before their teens.

I am personally grateful to Geoff Parkin of ROSL, Alison Cox from the Purcell School, Caroline Emery from the Menuhin School and Carys Barnes at the Royal Academy of Music for helping me devise this series which will be continued in the autumn.

Rodney Slatford OBE, Founding Chairman

The Last Concert in this series:

Sunday 30 July Young New Zealanders

A concert featuring two young prize-winners from New Zealand, given in association with the Royal Over-Seas League. Geoff Parkin, Artistic Director at ROSL, is kindly supporting this event which will also give the over-seas visitors a chance to see some of the wonderful local countryside. Whilst Norfolk has fewer sheep than New Zealand, we hope to make the young musicians feel at home!

This concert is dedicated to the memory of Beth Wilson, a New Zealander and founding trustee of the Yorke Trust who is sadly missed.

Nadia Boulanger - 3 pieces for Cello and Piano
Bach - Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Scriabin - Piano sonata No 5 Op 53

Interval

Debussy - Cello Sonata
Liszt - Années de pèlerinage, 2nd year, Italy, S161/R10b: No. 7.
Après une lecture du Dante, fantasia quasi una sonata

Jack Moyer
Jack Moyer is a young cellist based in Pōneke, Wellington. As a talented chamber musician, Jack has toured New Zealand with the Amici Ensemble for Chamber Music New Zealand’s ‘Another Night in Vienna’ tour and was part of Ravelation, the overall winner of the 2020 NZCT Chamber Music Contest. He is currently studying with NZSQ cellist Rolf Gjelsten.
Jack attended the Adam Summer School from 2019 - 2023, where he received chamber music coaching from the NZSQ. As an orchestral musician, Jack has enjoyed playing Principal Cello of both the NZSO National Youth Orchestra and the Wellington Youth Orchestra. Jack has played as a casual member of Orchestra Wellington and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Jack is a ROSL Pettman Scholar for 2023 which supports emerging NZ musicians showing exceptional career promise which will see him travel to the UK in August 2022 for lessons, masterclasses and performances, supported by the Royal Over-seas League in association with At World's Edge Festival.

Otis Prescott-Mason
Otis Prescott-Mason is a Wellington born pianist, currently studying piano under Dr. Jian Liu at Wellington's New Zealand School of Music, Te Kōkī. Otis has won numerous competitions at a national level, most recently awarded first prize at the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition and the 2022 National Young Performer Awards. In 2020, while still in high school, Otis was awarded first prize at the New Zealand Junior Piano Competition.

Otis enjoys chamber music and was selected to attend the Adam Summer School for Chamber Music from 2021-2023. Otis has been invited to perform in the New Zealand International Music Festival and the Whakatipu Music Festival. Through the generous sponsorship of Professor Jack C. Richards, Otis attended the 2022 Semaine Internationale de Piano in Blonay, Switzerland and will return to play a solo recital in the 2023 festival.

Otis is a ROSL Pettman Scholar for 2023 which supports emerging NZ musicians showing exceptional career promise which will see him travel to the UK in August 2022 for lessons, masterclasses and performances, supported by the Royal Over-seas League in association with At World's Edge Festival.

With many thanks for those who have generously supported this series financially.

All concerts begin at 15:00 and are in The Old Chapel, Burnham Road, South Creake, NR21 9JF
Tickets £12.00 from 01328 738482, Text 07899 771366 or email to carol.jennings2@btinternet.com.
Light refreshments will be available at all events.
All programmes subject to change. Please check with the Yorke Trust website.

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