Forest of Dean Musical Bursary

19/05/2026

Lovely write up in this week’s Forester

TWO young musicians who won this year’s Forest of Dean Music Bursary were presented with cheques at a special concert.

14/05/2026

We are so grateful for this donation!

10/05/2026

What a wonderful evening!

10/05/2026

A huge thank you to all who came to support our concert and our 2 very deserving winners last night . We were so grateful for the amazing performances of our winners and the fantastic singing of Coleford Community Choir and the fantastic playing of Pillowell Band. Also, thanks to the committee who worked so hard to ensure a wonderful evening was had by all.

31/03/2026

Don't forget to book your seats for our fabulous winners' concert!

31/03/2026

Meet our 2026 Bursary winners:-

Julian Ray

Julian is a 15-year-old alto saxophonist who has been playing for five years. In 2025 achieved a distinction in his grade 8, and he continues his learning at the Junior Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Introduced to jazz at the very start of his musical journey through a John Coltrane album, he fell in love with the genre and has pursued it with focus and enthusiasm since. He is influenced by the music of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz and Stan Getz.



Julian particularly enjoys playing in small-group settings, taking every opportunity to develop his improvisation and musical interaction. Alongside performance, Julian has a keen interest in music theory and has recently begun learning piano to further support his musical development. He is also a member of Gloucestershire County Jazz in a number of groups, gaining valuable performance experience, including at the Cheltenham jazz festival for the last 3 years, various jazz venues, and most recently at a private function held at the Glass Boat in Bristol.

31/03/2026

Meet our 2nd 2026 Bursary winner - May D'Arcy

May D'Arcy is 18 years old, currently studying for her A-levels at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham, having attended Wyedean for her GCSEs. She began learning piano at age 5, at St. Briavel's Primary School, under Tracey Gwynne, who remains her teacher to this day. She has been playing for thirteen years, picking up violin and trumpet as secondary instruments along the way. She is currently working towards her LRSM diploma on the piano. She is very grateful for the bursary, which will be used to fund the exam.

24/03/2026

We are delighted to announce our 2026 Musical Bursary winners - Julian Ray (alto sax) and May D'Arcy (piano). They will be performing at our concert with Coleford Community Choir and Pillowell Band on Saturday 9th May at Coleford Baptist Church. Contact David on 07563 792553

01/02/2026

Don't delay! Closing date is 28th February!

02/12/2025

Musical Bursary applications are now - OPEN!