BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] AUGUST 2024
Registered Charity No: 1001958
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
INDEX TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] AUGUST 2024
Trustee’s Report 3 Independent Examiner’s Report 6 Income & Expenditure Account 7 Balance Sheet 8 Concert Accounts 9 Notes 10
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] AUGUST 2024
Reference and Administration
Benson Choral Society is a Registered Charity (number 1001958, registered on 19[th] February 1991).
Principal address of the Charity:
Witta’s Ham Cottage High Street Long Wittenham Abingdon, OX14 4QH
Bankers: Lloyds Bank, Newmarket Branch
The Charity is administered by a Management Committee listed below, who are all Trustees, recruited from and elected by the Membership. There are no other Trustees. There are no employees of the Charity.
Kevin Lawson Chairman Charlotte Kerr Secretary Martin Mellor Treasurer Celia Barnshaw Sara Boorman Beatrice Earland Gillian Nahum (Co -opted) Claire Speirs Philip Smyly Anthony Winters
There were 120 Members as at 31[st] August 2024
Aims and Objectives
The objects of the Charity shall be to advance, improve develop, and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music, in all its aspects by any means the Trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals.
Review of the Year’s Activities
The members attended rehearsals for each of three Concerts for two hours on Tuesday evenings throughout September to June. The concerts staged were:
25[th] November 2023
Performance of Mass in B Minor by J S Bach
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23[rd] March 2024
Performances of:
Pietà by Richard Blackford Requiem by Gabriel Fauré
15[th] June 2024
Performance of The Creation by Joseph Haydn
The three concerts in this year were very successful in fulfilling our aims in terms of musical appreciation and education. A generous donation enabled us to perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor with a professional orchestra at the original baroque pitch using first class soloists. The packed audience fully appreciated the very high quality performance which ensued. This, together with the open choral workshop we held a few weeks before the performance, enabled us to recruit some new, younger members. The choir’s reputation was now such that we also succeeded in attracting a new musical director of the very highest standard, head of music at one of the country’s most successful summer opera festivals.
Our spring concert mixed the very popular (Fauré’s Requiem) with a recent work by local composer Richard Blackford, Pietà. This imaginative programming attracted an audience who would otherwise not have encountered Blackford’s uplifting work which has been only rarely performed. The excellently prepared choir, under the direction of our new music director gave a committed performance which moved many members of the audience and resulted in a rave review in the press. We also held an open workshop for the Fauré which attracted several members of other choral societies and was particularly successful in increasing attendees’ understanding and appreciation of this very popular work
Our summer concert, Haydn’s Creation was a joyous occasion for choir and audience – an experience in which we were all reminded of the power of classical music to positively affect the lives of performers and audience alike.
Financial Review
Our Accumulated Fund at 31[st] August amounted to £17,034, after incurring a deficit of £83 for the year. All funds are unrestricted. There are no fixed assets. The funds are required to satisfy our cash flow needs and to cover the risk of a loss of income, whether through a drop in membership or a poorly attended concert, and to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur.
A main source of funds is from the sale of tickets for our concerts. However, in September 2023 a sponsor donated £5,000 with instructions that it should be applied to the Winter Concert. Including ancillary concert income, concerts are usually in deficit after applying direct costs in staging them. The deficits are for the most part funded by other main sources of income ─ Membership Fees and the related Gift Aid claimed from HMRC.
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st AUGUST 2024
| £ £ 15,017 2,558 270 18,524 679 226 480 32 470 953 20,685 2,850 3,383 1,731 8,062 98 1,688 401 19 387 408 20 205 854 4,979 4,675 (1,158) 15,865 4,820 2023 |
£ £ INCOME Interest Receivable 216.43 - Subscriptions 15,395.00 Gift Aid 3,387.81 Donations 710.81 Friends 970.00 20,680.05 Profit on Rehearsal Refreshments 261.00 Staging Hire & Scores Loan 512.41 Profit on Sale of Scores - Profit on Parties Note 4(a) 307.77 Profit on Workshops Note 4(b) 935.25 22,696.48 EXPENDITURE General Musical Director's Fees 3,300.00 Accompanist's Fees 3,400.00 Guest Conductor 2,490.00 Guest Accompanist 253.60 9,443.60 Hire of Rehearsal Venues 1,883.50 Subscriptions & Insurance 618.72 Printing, Stationery & Postage 19.20 Website & IT Expenses 791.28 New MD Selection Costs - Advertising - Staging 525.55 Sundry Expenses 232.70 Concerts Loss on Winter Concert 2,574.79 Loss on Spring Concert 3,649.11 (Profit)/Loss on Summer Concert 3,041.14 9,265.04 22,779.59 Surplus / (Deficit) for the year (83.11) 2024 |
£ £ INCOME Interest Receivable 216.43 - Subscriptions 15,395.00 Gift Aid 3,387.81 Donations 710.81 Friends 970.00 20,680.05 Profit on Rehearsal Refreshments 261.00 Staging Hire & Scores Loan 512.41 Profit on Sale of Scores - Profit on Parties Note 4(a) 307.77 Profit on Workshops Note 4(b) 935.25 22,696.48 EXPENDITURE General Musical Director's Fees 3,300.00 Accompanist's Fees 3,400.00 Guest Conductor 2,490.00 Guest Accompanist 253.60 9,443.60 Hire of Rehearsal Venues 1,883.50 Subscriptions & Insurance 618.72 Printing, Stationery & Postage 19.20 Website & IT Expenses 791.28 New MD Selection Costs - Advertising - Staging 525.55 Sundry Expenses 232.70 Concerts Loss on Winter Concert 2,574.79 Loss on Spring Concert 3,649.11 (Profit)/Loss on Summer Concert 3,041.14 9,265.04 22,779.59 Surplus / (Deficit) for the year (83.11) 2024 |
£ £ INCOME Interest Receivable 216.43 - Subscriptions 15,395.00 Gift Aid 3,387.81 Donations 710.81 Friends 970.00 20,680.05 Profit on Rehearsal Refreshments 261.00 Staging Hire & Scores Loan 512.41 Profit on Sale of Scores - Profit on Parties Note 4(a) 307.77 Profit on Workshops Note 4(b) 935.25 22,696.48 EXPENDITURE General Musical Director's Fees 3,300.00 Accompanist's Fees 3,400.00 Guest Conductor 2,490.00 Guest Accompanist 253.60 9,443.60 Hire of Rehearsal Venues 1,883.50 Subscriptions & Insurance 618.72 Printing, Stationery & Postage 19.20 Website & IT Expenses 791.28 New MD Selection Costs - Advertising - Staging 525.55 Sundry Expenses 232.70 Concerts Loss on Winter Concert 2,574.79 Loss on Spring Concert 3,649.11 (Profit)/Loss on Summer Concert 3,041.14 9,265.04 22,779.59 Surplus / (Deficit) for the year (83.11) 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20,685 | 22,696.48 | ||
| 8,062 1,688 401 19 387 408 20 205 4,675 |
9,443.60 1,883.50 618.72 19.20 791.28 - - 525.55 232.70 9,265.04 |
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| 2,574.79 3,649.11 3,041.14 |
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| 15,865 | 22,779.59 | ||
| 4,820 | (83.11) |
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
| 2023 £ 14,587 38 3,027 |
£ ASSETS Balance at Bank Deposit Account 10,216.43 14,587 Current Account 5,387.97 Subscriptions Account - Cash in Hand Concert Wine Stock Debtors and Payments in Advance Less Creditors REPRESENTED BY: Accumulated Fund Balance at 1 September 2023 Surplus / (Deficit) for the year BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31stAUGUST 2024 |
£ ASSETS Balance at Bank Deposit Account 10,216.43 14,587 Current Account 5,387.97 Subscriptions Account - Cash in Hand Concert Wine Stock Debtors and Payments in Advance Less Creditors REPRESENTED BY: Accumulated Fund Balance at 1 September 2023 Surplus / (Deficit) for the year BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31stAUGUST 2024 |
2024 £ 15,604.40 16.00 - 1,421.73 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17,652 535 |
17,042.13 7.86 |
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| 17,117 | 17,034.27 | ||
| 12,397 4,720 |
17,117.38 (83.11) |
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| 17,117 | 17,034.27 |
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
CONCERT ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[st] AUGUST 2024
| RECEIPTS | PAYMENTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 2024 2023 £ £p £ Sponsor(Restricted Fund) 5,000.00 3,376 Orchestra 5,970 Ticket Receipts 6,049.94 780 Conductor's Fee 132 Profit on Score Hire 3.79 1,800 Soloists 13 Loss on Programmes (30.07) 40 Orchestral Scores 433 Profit on Interval Drinks 490.43 720 Venue & Facilities Hire 425 Instrument Hire 37 Printing & Advertising 125 Gifts 99 Staging 6,548 Total Receipts 11,514.09 7,402 Total Payments 854 Loss on Concert 2,574.79 7,402 14,088.88 7,402 4,774 Orchestra 3,731 Ticket Receipts 4,395.36 700 Conductor's Fee (10) Profit on Score Sales/Hire 181.08 2,000 Soloists 24 Profit on Programmes 32.50 302 Orchestral Scores 230 Profit on Interval Drinks 286.32 909 Venue & Facilities Hire Organ Hire 132 Staging 37 Printing & Advertising 100 Gifts Sundry Expenses 3,975 Total Receipts 4,895.26 8,954 Total Payments 4,979 Loss on Concert 3,649.11 8,954 8,544.37 8,954 3,451 Ticket Receipts 3,969.76 Orchestra 254 Profit on Score Hire 41.30 700 Conductor's Fee 42 Profit on Programmes 73.36 800 Soloists 290 Profit on Interval Drinks 273.23 Orchestral Scores 1,008 Venue & Facilities Hire 52 Hire of Piano 35 Printing & Advertising 85 Gifts 99 Staging 100 Sundry Expenses 4,037 Total Receipts 4,357.65 2,879 Total Payments Loss on Concert 3,041.14 1,158 Profit on Concert 4,037 7,398.79 4,037 Winter Concert (see Note 5(a)) Spring Concert (see Note 5(b)) Summer Concert (see Note 5(c)) |
2024 £p Winter Concert |
2024 £p 8,762.38 700.00 2,500.00 - 1,136.00 750.00 37.00 104.50 99.00 |
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| 14,088.88 | ||||
| 14,088.88 | ||||
| 4,060.00 700.00 1,975.00 353.50 939.00 51.50 99.00 117.00 117.20 132.17 |
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| 8,544.37 | ||||
| 8,544.37 | ||||
| 3,409.00 772.00 1,500.00 335.37 1,051.50 - 117.00 105.92 108.00 - |
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| 7,398.79 | ||||
| 7,398.79 |
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BENSON CHORAL SOCIETY
NOTES ON THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] AUGUST 2024
1. Committee Responsibilities
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(a) The Committee is required to prepare accounts for each financial year which gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and the results for that period.
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(b) The Committee confirms that appropriate accounting policies have been used and applied consistently, and reasonable and prudent judgements and estimates have been made in preparation of these accounts.
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(c) The Committee also confirms that the applicable accounting bases set out in note 2(a) have been followed.
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(d) The Committee is responsible for maintaining adequate accounting records, for safeguarding the assets of the Charity, and for taking steps to prevent and detect fraud and other regularities.
2. Accounting Policies
(a) Accounting Bases
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Charities SORP.
- (b) Income
Income is accounted for in the year to which it relates.
- (c) Expenditure
is accounted for on an accrual basis in the year to which relates.
- (d) Restricted Funds
There were no restricted funds. all funds being unrestricted.
3. Payments to Trustees
The only payments to Trustees were to reimburse them for expenses incurred on behalf of the Charity.
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4 Income and Expenditure Account
| Description Income £ a) Profit on Parties Summer Party Tickets 468.52 Raffle 201.00 Hire of Hall Food and Wine 669.52 Christmas Party Wine - b) Fees 1,537.35 Hire of Hall Musical Director Accompanist 1,537.35 Fees 1,335.40 Hire of Hall Musical Director Accompanist Soloist 1,335.40 Concerts a) Winter Concert ( Profit on Music Hire Sales 139.79 Hire charge 139.79 ( Profit on Programmes Sales 389.93 Printing 389.93 4th November 2024 Profit on Workshops 9th March 2025 |
Description Income £ a) Profit on Parties Summer Party Tickets 468.52 Raffle 201.00 Hire of Hall Food and Wine 669.52 Christmas Party Wine - b) Fees 1,537.35 Hire of Hall Musical Director Accompanist 1,537.35 Fees 1,335.40 Hire of Hall Musical Director Accompanist Soloist 1,335.40 Concerts a) Winter Concert ( Profit on Music Hire Sales 139.79 Hire charge 139.79 ( Profit on Programmes Sales 389.93 Printing 389.93 4th November 2024 Profit on Workshops 9th March 2025 |
Expenditure £ 126.00 206.49 |
Profit (Loss) £ 307.77 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 669.52 | 332.49 | 337.03 | |
| 29.26 | |||
| - | 29.26 | (29.26) | |
| 165.00 412.50 275.00 |
935.25 | ||
| 1,537.35 | 852.50 | 684.85 | |
| 165.00 450.00 300.00 170.00 |
|||
| 1,335.40 | 1,085.00 | 250.40 | |
| 136.00 | |||
| 139.79 | 136.00 | 3.79 | |
| 420.00 | |||
| 420.00 | (30.07) |
5 Concerts
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| ( Profit on Interval | Drinks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 662.10 | ||
| Purchaes | 171.67 | ||
| 662.10 | 171.67 | 490.43 |
b) Spring Concert
| ( Profit on Music Hire | ( Profit on Music Hire | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 1,301.50 | ||
| Hire charge | 1,120.42 | ||
| 1,301.50 | 1,120.42 | 181.08 | |
| ( Profit on Programmes | |||
| Sales | 282.50 | ||
| Printing | 250.00 | ||
| 282.50 | 250.00 | 32.50 | |
| ( Profit on Interval | Drinks | ||
| Sales | 389.88 | ||
| Purchaes | 103.56 | ||
| 389.88 | 103.56 | 286.32 | |
| Summer Concert | |||
| ( Profit on Music Hire | |||
| Sales | 137.30 | ||
| Hire charge | 96.00 | ||
| 137.30 | 96.00 | 41.30 | |
| ( Profit on Programmes | |||
| Sales | 248.36 | ||
| Printing | 175.00 | ||
| 248.36 | 175.00 | 73.36 | |
| ( Profit on Interval | Drinks | ||
| Sales | 379.07 | ||
| Purchaes | 105.84 | ||
| 379.07 | 105.84 | 273.23 |
c) Summer Concert
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