Tom Acton Memorial Trust

Tom Cockett Tenor currently studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Ryland Davies and Audrey Hyland. A former Head Chorister of St. Pauls Cathedral, Tom performed extensively as a treble soloist including for BBC2 and Radio 3, Japanese TV and the British Council in Brazil . In 2007 Tom graduated in Music from Royal Holloway. Tom is extremely grateful to The Kathleen Trust and The Tom Acton Trust for their support.

Thomas Evans began playing the clarinet at 8 years of age. He currently plays 1st clarinet with Essex Youth Orchestra which he joined in 2006. Tom is also a member of the British Clarinet Ensemble. He has played in venues across Europe including Prague, Tuscany, Bruges, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. In 2007 Tom appeared at The Cadogan Hall, London with Essex Youth Orchestra. Tom has taken part in master classes with Andrew Marriner, Hansborg Schellenberger, John Bradbury, Charles Hine and Nicholas Cox. This summer Tom played Weber’s Clarinet Concerto no. 1 with Essex Youth Chamber Orchestra. He has just completed his first year at The Royal Northern College of Music where he studies with Chris Swann.

Jonathan Huff started playing the trumpet at the age of 8. Within 5 years he was playing with the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, and in July 2006 he won the Dodman Music Trophy at Davenant Foundation School and joined the Essex Young People’s Orchestra (EYPO). He now attends Junior Guildhall and studies the trumpet with Andy Mitchell. He is a member of various ensembles there, including the Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan continues to play an active part in school music – he is a member of the orchestra, the Concert and Swing bands, and has formed and performs regularly with a six-piece jazz ensemble named Blue Heat. He gained a place in the Essex Youth Orchestra this year. He is also a member of the Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
Jonathan is in his final year at School and hopes to go on to study music at university.

Amanda Michell began studying the horn in 2004, just a few months before she started as a sixth former and music scholar at Felsted School. She has recently graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, and is currently studying for a Master of Music degree at Trinity College of Music. Amanda was principal horn of the Royal Holloway Symphony and Chamber orchestras from 2006 – 2009, and has been principal horn of the Essex Youth Orchestra and Essex Youth Chamber Orchestra since 2008. As a soloist Amanda has performed Haydn’s 1st Horn Concerto in D Major and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. She is delighted to have been asked to perform a concerto with the Essex Youth Chamber Orchestra in July 2010.

Bethany Davis writes :- I am in year 10 at Colchester County High School. I started learning the cello at school when I was seven, and began bassoon at Tendring Music School when I was nine. This September I started at the Junior Guildhall School of Music with both instruments. At school, I play cello in the orchestra and sing in the senior choir, and I have just started piano lessons. I play bassoon in Essex Young Peoples Orchestra and Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra, and sing with Essex Young Singers. I often have very busy school holidays with various music courses and tours, but I love it! I hope to study music at university, and use music in my career if at all possible.

Dominic Skingle aged 11 is from Walthamstow. He is a music scholar at Forest School, Snaresbrook where he studies jazz piano, singing and the harp. He has also just started at Junior Guildhall in London last September where he studies violin and classical piano.

Joseph Ataman aged 15 is from Brentwood. He plays piano and clarinet and at 8 years old he began 5 years as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral. In 2006 he joined the City of London School where he started to learn the organ. He is also a member of the London Youth Wind Band and is junior organ scholar at Brentwood Cathedral.