2026 Awards Ceremony

This year’s Recital and Award Ceremony of the long-established Woking Young Musicians Trust took place on 31 May at St Peters Church, Old Woking, in the presence of the Mayor, Councillor Rob Leach. 

Introduced by the trust’s Chaiman, Mel Beynon, the award winners were heard in an attractive programme.  First, two younger performers, beneficiaries of an award made possible by a legacy from a former trustee, the late Ruth Felton:  pianist Leah Yan, in music by Jianzgong Wang and Bartók, and violinist Anina Yang, playing Bach’s D minor Sarabande.   Both these under-12 performers delighted us with their natural musicianship. 

In the under-19 category, we heard two more violinists – Isabelle Wild (playing Massanet’s ‘Meditation’) and Yin Sing Chan (Monti’s ‘Czardas’).   In sharp contrast were lively performances from Milo Gosney (drum kit) and pianist Nicholas Yang (Prokofiev). 

The programme also featured two former winners – Eleanor Mackie (bassoon, 2017) who gave an account of how her bassoon playing has broadened into wider aspects of musical activity, and Nona Lawrence (tuba, 2022), whose performance of music by Vaughan Williams and Bach demonstrated an exciting maturity.  

Councillor Rob Leach then presented this year’s award certificates and spoke warmly about the valuable activity of the Trust and the hard work and dedication of the talented performers.

The Trust is once again proud to be able to enhance the careers of gifted local musicians from the Woking area. 

[Sebastian Forbes, trustee]

Programme