## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1 September 2022 Period start date To 31 August 2023 Period end date**
## **Charity name: City of Bristol Choir**
## **Charity registration number: 1015961**
## **Objectives and Activities**
|||
|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|“To promote, improve, develop and maintain public
education in and appreciation of the art and science of
music in all its aspects by the presentation of public
concerts and recitals and by such other means as the
Choir, through its committee,shall determine from time
to time.”|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|**City of Bristol Choir 2022-2023**
**13 November 2022 – Remembrance Sunday Concert,**
**St George’s Concert Hall, 6pm**
Blackford’s_Pietà_and Vaughan Williams;_Dona nobis_
_pacem._
Soloists Felix Kemp and Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
**17 December 2022 Christmas Spectacular, St**
**George’s Bristol**
With Bristol Ensemble
**20 December 2022 Festive Fiesta, St George’s,**
**Bristol**
With Bristol Ensemble
**24 March 2023, That Friday Feeling Concert, All**
**Saints Church, 7:45pm**
My beloved spake Patrick Hadley
Ubi caritas Maurice Duruflé
O sing unto the Lord Cecilia McDowall
Let all mortal flesh keep silence Edward Bairstow
Beati quorum via Charles Villiers Stanford
Five Spirituals from A Child of our Time Michael Tippett
Organ: Épiphanie Gaston Litaize
The Call Gail Randall|
||Faire is the heaven William H. Harris
Ave Verum Colin Mawby
Northern Lights Ola Gjeilo
Magnificat from St Paul’s Service Herbert Howells
**25 June 2023 Then Sing We All, St George’s Concert**
**Hall, 6pm**
Jazz Cantata – Then Sing We All, Iain Farrington
Stars, Night, Music and Light Judith Weir
Two Songs and Sonnets George Shearing
They can’t take that away from me George Gershwin
Summertime George Gershwin
Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day Owain Park
Excerpts from Sacred Concert Duke Ellington|
|---|---|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Yes|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|||
|---|---|
|||
|Policy on grant making|There is no policy but decisions are taken on a case by
case basis by the Trustees and the committee for the
commission of new musical works and to award Bursary
Scholarships for young singers.|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|N/A|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Volunteer stewards, committee members, librarian and
front of house team are thanked publicly and thanks are
published in the concert programmes.|
|Other|N/A|
|||
**Achievements and Performance**
|Summary
of
the
main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the
circumstances
of
its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|**13 November 2022 – Remembrance Sunday Concert,**
**St George’s Concert Hall, 6pm**
The Remembrance Sunday Concert was a resounding
success, receiving widespread positive reviews. The
program featured impactful performances of Blackford's
Pietà and Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem,
showcasing the talents of soloists Felix Kemp and
Rebecca Afonwy-Jones. The concert not only paid tribute
to Remembrance Sunday but also left a lasting
impression on the audience with its emotive and powerful
musical renditions. The combination of compelling
compositions and outstanding soloists contributed to the
overall success of the event, earning it high praise from
the audience. The composer, Blackford was in attendance
and we also collaborated with Bristol Youth Choir to
further our objective of supporting emerging music talent.
**17 December 2022 Christmas Spectacular, St**
**George’s Bristol**
City of Bristol Choir accompanied the Bristol Ensemble
and delivered the Christmas Spectacular at St George's
Bristol that captivated the audience and proved, again, to
be a resounding success. This festive event, flled with
holiday cheer, featured the choir's renditions of classic
Christmas carols and seasonal favourites. The
collaboration with the Bristol Ensemble, as always, added
a rich musical dimension to the performance, elevating
the overall experience.
**20 December 2022 Festive Fiesta, St George’s, Bristol**
As above, but this version of our collaborative concert
with the Bristol Ensemble involves a bit more audience
participation. There are more carols for the audience to
join in with and just generally, there is a slightly more
celebratory atmosphere for this concert.
**24 March 2023, That Friday Feeling Concert, All**
**Saints Church, 7:45pm**
As a slightly new idea /initiative for a concert, CBC put on
“That Friday Feeling” in March 2023.The Choir performed
a full programme with no interval which meant the running
time was shorter, with no interval and was on a Friday
night, avoiding clashes with other musical performances
in Bristol. It proved to be a spectacular success, leaving
the audience enraptured with an evening of diverse,
feel-good musical performances. The programme
featured a rich selection of choral pieces, spanning
various composers and styles, showcasing the versatility
and talent of theperformers. The musical offering|
|---|---|
seamlessly transitioned through a range of emotions, from the uplifting "Faire is the heaven" by William H. Harris to the serene "Ave Verum" by Colin Mawby. It was a great experiment and having sold out the audience, CBC have resolved to try a similar concert to this formula in March 2024. **25 June 2023 Then Sing We All, St George’s Concert Hall, 6pm** "Then Sing We All" was an exceptional musical event that unfolded excellently. The evening featured a diverse array of compositions that seamlessly blended Jazz-type genres, captivating the audience with a unique evening experience. The concert included the first performance of Iain Farrington's Jazz Cantata, "Then Sing We All," set the tone for the concert, showcasing a fusion of jazz elements with traditional choral arrangements. This was accompanied by a number of other works including Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert. The fusion of sacred and jazz elements in Ellington's work provided a fitting reflection of the concert’s aim; to combine the more traditional choral elements of City of Bristol choir with a small jazz trio. It was a hugely effective concert and even better for being hosted in the beautiful space of St George’s concert Hall.
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Achievements against
objectives set|City of Bristol Choir enjoyed a remarkably successful year
from September 2022 to August 2023, marked by a
diverse and challenging repertoire that showcased the
choir's capability and high musical standards. This period
proved to be yet another successful year for the choir,
executing some of their key objectives and goals. The
primary objectives for the year included commissioning
new works, performing in various venues across the city,
and
fostering
extensive
collaborations
with other
performers. These goals were not only met but
surpassed,
refecting
the
choir's
commitment
to
promoting, improving, developing, and maintaining public
education in (and appreciation of) the art and gift of
music.
An additional triumph was witnessed in good ticket sales
throughout the year, a testament to the choir's popularity
and
the
effectiveness
of
its
expert,
thoughtful
programming. This success not onlyfulflled the objective|
|---|---|
||of protecting the existing audience but also contributed to
the growth of the choir's viewership.
The 2022-2023 season was indeed a banner year for City
of Bristol Choir, marked by artistic excellence and a
commitment to maintaining high musical & performance
standards.|
|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|**N/A**|
|Investment performance
against objectives|**N/A**|
|Other|**N/A**|
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The Choir’s finances have held up well despite
emerging from the difficulties of the pandemic, a
large investment in staging in 2020/21, increased
costs and two concerts last year in St George’s,
one of which made a significant loss.
An increase in subscription income and an increase
in performance fees helped to balance the loss.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|City of Bristol Choir tries to maintain a reserve of at
least £5000 to support the Choir’s on-going
activities and to provide a contingency fund in case
of poor ticket sales or unexpected costs. The
accompanying Accounts quantify three designated
funds (the CBC Bursary Fund, the Commissions
Fund and the CBC Tour Fund) and explain their
purposes.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|Minimum of £5000|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the|Para 1.23|N/A|
charity continuing as a going concern
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Subscriptions from members
Concert income
Grants and awards for specific projects or concerts|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|N/A|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|The principal risks to the Choir are first; ensuring
that audiences continue to attend concerts given
the growing competition for musical performances
in
and
around
Bristol
and
secondly,
that
membership remains at an optimum level to deliver
the aims and objectives of the choir and to
generate
subscription
income.
The
Trustees
continue to review this and the choir’s position
remains satisfactory.|
|Other||N/A|
||||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para
1.25|Written constitution.|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para
1.25|City of Bristol Choir is an unincorporated
association regulated by its constitution, adopted
at a specially convened Extraordinary General
Meeting of the Choir on 26thNovember 1992 and
amended at specially convened EGMs of the
Choir on 9thSeptember 2001, 29thJune 2003 and
at the AGM on 19thJune 2014.|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para
1.25|In accordance with the amended Constitution
adopted at the AGM on 19thJune 2014, the
Trustees are drawn from the members of the
Choir and elected by a simple majority of
members at the Charity’s Annual General Meeting
or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. They hold
office until the next Annual General Meeting and
are eligible for re-election.|
||||
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||||
|---|---|---|
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|New Trustees are mentored and they meet
with
outgoing
or
current
Trustees
depending what, if any role, they will play
on the committee.
All Trustees are advised of the expectations
and duties of Trustees and their attention is
specifically
drawn
to
www.
Gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-invol
ved|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|N/A|
|Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|N/A|
|Other||N/A|
||||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|City of Bristol Choir|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity
uses|N/A|
|Registered charity
number|1015961|
|Charity’s principal
address|City of Bristol Choir
9 Sandstone Rise, Winterbourne,
Bristol BS36 1BB|
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**
**Name of**
**person (or**
**body)**
**entitled to**
**appoint**
**trustee (if**
**any)**|
|---|---|---|
|Elizabeth Cunningham|Chair|City of
Bristol Choir|
|Ian Blenkinsop|Treasurer|“|
|Tim Jackson|Secretary|“|
|Rose Lancaster|MembershipSec.|“|
|Peter Lunt|Concert Manager|“|
|Alice Howse|Ticket Sec.|“|
|Helen Burke|PublicityOfficer|“|
|Julia Loveless|Vice Chair|from 25th May2023
“|
|Nigel Harradine|Trustee|from 25th May2023
“|
|JennyHemming|Trustee|from 25th May2023
“|
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name N/A**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
|**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**||
|---|---|---|
|**N/A**|||
||||
||||
||||
||||
||||
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|Description of the assets
held in this capacity|N/A|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|N/A|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity’s own assets|N/A|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||||
||**N/A**|||
|||||
|||||
|||||
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**N/A Other optional information N/A**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)_______ _______**
**Full name(s)_______ JULIA LOVELESS________**
**Position (e.g. Secretary, Chair etc)_________CHAIR (as of 1st February 2024)_________**
**Date______2nd April 2024_______**
## **CITY OF BRISTOL CHOIR**
## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
|**INCOME**
Notes
Subscriptions
Gift Aid
Donations and grants
Concert Income
2
Performance Fees
Sponsorship and fundraising
Sale of goods
3
Interest received
**EXPENDITURE**
Rehearsal Costs
Concert expenditure
2
Performance Costs
Cost of goods sold
3
Grants and commissions
Subscriptions paid
Insurance
Amortisation and depreciation
Professional Costs
Tour Expenses
Stock Write Off
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**FUNDS AT 1 SEPTEMBER**
**FUNDS AT 31 AUGUST**|**UNRESTRICTED FUNDS**
**2023**
£
£
£
£
£
Other
CBC Bursary CBC Tour
Commissions
Total
Funds
Fund
Fund
Fund
20,053
20,053
5,224
0
5,224
251
0
251
16,075
16,075
6,466
6,466
404
2,000
2,404
2,400
2,400
50
50|**2022**
£
16,516
2,670
2,900
17,209
4,439
0
166
6|
|---|---|---|
||50,923
2,000
0
52,923
15,190
15,190
26,340
26,340
1,927
1,927
2,210
2,210
250
0
250
53
53
201
201
914
914
2,705
2,705
1,654
1,654
860.64
50,401
250
1,654
0
51,444
522
(250)
346
0
618
24,990
627
(248)
4,176
29,545|43,906|
|||13,802
22,478
1,108
0
4,500
40
137
785
492|
|||0
43,342|
|||564
28,981|
||25,512
377
98
4,176
30,163|29,545|
## **CITY OF BRISTOL CHOIR**
## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## **UNRESTRICTED FUNDS**
|Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
4
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Music Library
1,5
Stock
Gift Aid receivable
Debtors and prepayments
Cash at bank and in hand
COIF Deposit Account
**CURRENT LIABILITIES**
Creditors and Accruals
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**NET ASSETS**
**RESERVES**
General Funds
CBC Tour Fund
6
CBC Bursary Fund
6
CBC Commissions Fund
6|**2023**
£
£
£
£
£
Other
CBC Bursary CBC Tour
Commissions
Total
Funds
Fund
Fund
Fund
10,521
10,521
1,917
1,917
0
0
5,074
5,074
527
527
10,180
377
98
4,176
14,831
1,000
1,000|**2022**
£
10,709
1,385
861
5,309
3,236
8,497
1,000|
|---|---|---|
||18,698
377
98
4,176
23,349
3,707
3,707
3,707
3,707
14,991
377
98
4,176
19,642
25,512
377
98
4,176
30,163
25,512
25,512
98
98
377
377
4,176
4,176
25,512
377
98
4,176
30,163|20,288|
|||1,452|
|||1,452|
|||18,836|
|||29,545|
|||24,990
(248)
627
4,176|
|||29,545|
Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf
J Loveless S Pascall Chairman Treasurer
## **CITY OF BRISTOL CHOIR**
## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **Basis of Accounting**
These accounts have been prepared on the basis of historic costs in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2015), and with the Charities Act 1993. The basis of accounting has not changed during the year
## **Going concern**
There are no material uncertainties which might affect the ability of the Choir to continue
## **Public benefit**
The Choir is a public benefit entity
## **Recognition of income**
Income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities (SofA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources; the Trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources; and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability
## **Income with related expenditure**
Where income has related expenditure, such as concert income, the income and related expenditure are reported gross in the SofA
## **Grants and donations**
Grants and donations are only included in the SofA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources. From time to time the choir has acted as agent in collecting money from choir members for charitable purposes and gifts. These amounts are not included in the accounts at year end. The total amount excluded was £413.51.
## **Tax reclaims on donations, subscriptions and gifts**
Income from tax reclaims is included in the SofA at the same time as the gift to which they relate.
## **Contractual income and performance related grants**
This is only included in the SofA once the related services have been delivered.
## **Investment Income**
This is included in the accounts when receivable.
## **Liability recognition**
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources
## **Fixed Assets**
Fixed assets comprise folding chairs used in concert performances, which are depreciated over 10 years on a straight-line basis, recording equipment, which is depreciated over five years on a straight line basis, and concert staging, which is depreciated to net residual value over twenty years on a straight line basis.
## **Music Library**
Items held by the choir for its own use, or for rental by other choirs, are the subject of an annual stocktake. To recognise the reducing value of copies over time, their value is amortised over a period of 5 years, on a reducing balance basis
**Stock**
Stock write off comprises compact disc recordings.
## **CITY OF BRISTOL CHOIR**
## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **2. Concert income and expenditure**
|Income
Ticket Sales
Grants Received
Total Income
Expenditure
Musicians and soloists
Venue costs
Music Hire
Programme Costs
Refreshment Costs
Publicity and postage
Commission on ticket sales
Other costs
Surplus/(deficit)
**3. Sale of goods**
Income
Expenditure
Surplus/Deficit|That
Music of
Friday
Then Sing
Remembrance
Feeling
We All
Celebration
£
£
£
£
6,203
3,560
5,312
0
1,000
0
0
0|2023
Total
£
15,075
1,000|2022
Total
£
17,209
6,900|
|---|---|---|---|
||7,203
3,560
5,312
0
9,877
150
1,000
0
2,514
300
2,292
0
1,328
754
932
0
295
95
60
0
0
236
0
0
1,482
987
1,024
0
625
91
569
0
495
218
1,016
0
16,616
2,831
6,893
0
(9,413)
729
(1,581)
0
Music
CD
Sales
Sales
£
£
2,400
0
2,210
0
190
0|16,075
11,027
5,106
3,014
450
236
3,493
1,285
1,729
26,340
(10,265)
2023
Total
£
2,400
2,210
190|24,109|
||||10,981
5,500
964
605
172
3,830
1,542
3,039|
||||26,633|
||||(2,524)|
||||2022
Total
£
166|
||||166|
## **CITY OF BRISTOL CHOIR**
## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
|**4. Fixed Assets**
Brought forward
Additions during the year
Depreciation charge
Carried forward
**5. Music Library**
Net book value b/fwd
Additions during the year
Amortization
Net book value c/fwd|2023
Cost
Depreciation
Net Book Value
£
£
£
11,466
(757)
10,709
246
246
(434)
(434)|2023
Cost
Depreciation
Net Book Value
£
£
£
11,466
(757)
10,709
246
246
(434)
(434)|2022
£
117
11,031
(439)|
|---|---|---|---|
||11,712
(1,191)|10,521
2023
£
1,386
1,012
(480)
1,918|10,709|
||||2022
£
1,586
146
(346)|
||||1,386|
## **6. Designated funds**
The CBC Bursary Fund is a designated fund established to provide funds to advance the musical education of young singers, who are required to join the choir during the period for which they are in receipt of bursary funding.
The CBC Tour Fund is a designated fund established to meet the incidental costs associated with overseas and domestic concert tours which the choir may undertake periodically.
## **7. Trustee's remuneration and expenses**
No trustees were in receipt of remuneration during the year. Expenses were reimbursed in respect of travelling and subsistence incurred in attending meetings on choir business
## **8. Related party transactions**
There were no related party transactions during the year.
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's report
on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner'5 Report
Report to thè trnsteesl
members of
City of Bristol Choir
On accounts for tho year
ended
31 August 2023
Charfty no
(If any)
1015961
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity {llhe Trust") for the year ended 31 August 2023.
Responslbllltles and As the charity tnJst8es. you ar8 r8sponsible for the preparation of th8
basls of report accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 {"the Acf.).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
und8r section 145 of the 2011 A¢1 and In carrying out my examlnatlon, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commlsslon
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have 1Mpleted my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
examlner's statement come to my attenlion in connectlon with the examination which gives me
cause to bèlieve that in, any malerlal Spect,.
the a¢¢ounting rècords We not kept in accordan¢a with se¢llon 130
of the Act., or
the accounts did not accord with the accountlng r8cords; or
the accounts did not eomply with the applicable requirements
concemlng the form and content of accounts set out in the Charilles
(Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirem8nt
that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter
considered as part of an independenl examination.
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connecllon
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in Ihis report in
order lo enable a proper understsnding of Ihe accounts to be reached.
Slgnod:
Date:
18 June 2024
Name:
Richard Francis Bacon
Relevant professional
quallflcatlon(s) or body
(If any):
FCA
Address:
8 Easffield
BRISTOL
BS9 4BQ
IER
October 2018