Steyning Society AGM & Bowl Awards 2026
Celebrating our wonderful community and musical contributors
Annual General Meeting 2026, Steyning Bowl Awards and Talk about Steyning
This year’s Steyning Bowl Awards were presented by Neil Jenkins, the internationally acclaimed tenor, on 17th April after the Society’s Annual General Meeting. The awards were focused on those who have made significant contributions to the musical life of Steyning, which produced some outstanding nominations.
The Bowl was presented to Zoe Peate and Gary Prior for their lifetime commitment to music, and especially for their work with Cantatrice Voices and Kaleidoscope Singers. Each of the five runners up received Highly Commended Certificates. They were Siobhan Denning, for her work with Chanctonbury Chorus, Diane Gargano for her work with Strummers and Singers, Janet Gawn for her work with Steyning Jazz Club, Christabel Heasman-Cossins for her work with Sing Out Sister and Brian and Marion Sawyer for their contribution to music at Steyning Parish Church.
Before presenting the awards, Neil Jenkins told us briefly about how he and his wife decided to retire to Bramber and their experience of making music in and around Steyning. The evening concluded with a short talk by Maddie Blackburn and Paul Dennison entitled Discovering Steyning, when they told us about how they came to live in Steyning and their love for the town.
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Audience building for the Steyning Society AGM and Bowl Award
Sarah Lavery, Neil Jenkins and the Sawyers discussing something of great importance
Neil Jenkins (tenor) – potted history of his connection to Bramber and Steyning
www.neiljenkins.com
Lynne Broome – preparing the Bowl and various awards.
Neil Jenkins presenting the Bowl to Zoe Peate for the many contributions made by her and her husband Gary Prior to the musical life of Steyning
Kate Burnett, Gary Prior, Zoe Peate and Neil
Nigel Hartley accepting the award on behalf of Siobhan Denning for running Chanctonbury Chorus for forty-four years
Diane Gargano as leader of Steyning Strummers and Singers
Various members of the Steyning Strummers and Singers
Janet Gawn for her work with Steyning Jazz Club
Janet Gawn and Thomas Gawn
Gay Cossins on behalf of her daughter Christabel Heasman-Cossins for running Sing Out Sister for sixteen years
Brian and Marion Sawyer for their contribution to the music at Steyning Parish Church
The Sawyers
Neil Jenkins receiving thanks from Nick Bennett
Maddie Blackburn and Paul Dennison, Short Talk “Discovering Steyning”
