EIGHTEEN-year-old violinist, Dayna Townsend has won this year’s Hereford Police Male Choir’s £850 Young Musician’s Bursary, sponsored by the Beckett Bulmer Fund and established eight years ago to help young musicians develop their careers.

Dayna, a pupil at Worcester Sixth Form College has won a scholarship to study music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She is Leader of Worcestershire Youth Orchestra and a member of the National Youth Orchestra. She plans to use her bursary to pay for violin masterclasses.

The other finalists were India George, cello; Laurence John, organ; James Mattie, guitar; Hattie Butterworth, cello; Raye Harry, violin; Sam Saunders, singer; Sian Haines, soprano.

Alison Houlbrooke, musical director of the choir, said: “We had the privilege of listening to eight very talented young musicians, each worthy of the bursary. Dayna was an exceptional candidate and has a great future ahead of her.”