The Coda Fiddle Orchestra Christmas Concert at St Peter’s Church in Bournemouth was a great opportunity for these talented young musicians to shine. From little Zoe who is just 7 years old and studying for her Grade 1, to 17 year old Elia who has achieved Grade 8 and is the Coda star. He is off to Cardiff University to study music in September. All of the performances were outstanding. Elia performed ‘Remembrances from Schindlers List ‘ which was a captivating piece and testament of his incredible talent.

The John Thornton Scholarships are aimed at youngsters showing outstanding talent and provide one to one music tuition together with their sheet music and exam fees. The ten JT Scholars who benefitted in 2021 are pictured above and Linda and Pete Thornton were delighted to meet them and present their certificates mid way through the concert.

The JTYAF has been supporting talented young musicians from the Coda Fiddle Orchestra since 2010 and many of the students have been recipients for several years.

Isabella was a John Thornton Scholar for several years and told us:-

The John Thornton Music Scholarship has allowed me to continue playing the violin, cumulatively building my confidence and opening doors in other areas of my life. The performance aspect on the violin has helped me gain top prizes at debating competitions, enter as a Youth Parliament member and pursue a degree in law at Bristol University. I couldn't have done it without all the help and support from The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation. I won a scholarship at Bristol University, of which part was for violin.