LEWISHAM CHORAL SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS for the year to 31 August 2022 Registered Charity Number: 1040570
Charitable objects
To promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects by the presentation of public choral concerts and recitals, and to advance such other charitable purposes as the Committee may from time to time decides.
Governance arrangements
Lewisham Choral Society (LCS) is governed by its constitution, last updated in September 2016. Membership of LCS is by payment of the annual subscription. LCS is managed by a committee consisting of the chair, honorary business secretary, honorary membership secretary, honorary treasurer and up to twelve other members, who are the trustees of the charity. Committee members are elected or re-elected annually at the AGM.
Trustees
Brenda Scanlan (Chair) Jon Banks (elected October 2022) Penny Champion (Librarian) Charlotte Davies (resigned October 2021) David Dennis (resigned October 2022) Elizabeth Glasser (elected October 2021) Trevor Jarvis Andrew McLeod (Membership Secretary to October 2021, resigned October 2022) Lara Ruffle-Coles Rosemary Savinson James Toohill Anne Wheeler (Treasurer; elected October 2021) Emily Williams (Membership Secretary from October 2021)
Public Benefit
In planning the activities for the year, the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Activities and achievements
Our previous two seasons were significantly compromised because of the Covid pandemic and the limitations on rehearsing and performing in person, with the associated individual and public health risks. However, because LCS had continued to meet and rehearse online during this period members were well prepared to resume rehearsals and take part in a number of events in 2021/22. In summary, it has been a very full year with four concerts and a range of other performances. Very positively, we had some 150 subscribing members during the season.
Following a comprehensive review of our existing Risk Management Plan, we began the new season in September by organising a Saturday Workshop for members and guests. Whilst Faure’s Requiem is well-known, the Workshop enabled our Director and singers to explore the work in greater depth. By opening the workshop to non-members we gained new recruits and provided an opportunity for some former members, who had moved away from London, to sing with us again.
Still in September, we were invited to perform at Eltham Palace. We gave two afternoon recitals in the medieval Great Hall, with the repertoire drawing extensively on works we had rehearsed in 20/21 on-line, including pieces by John Tavener, Randall Thompson and John Rutter.
We held two major concerts at Saint Mary’s church in the Autumn term. The first, in October, showcased John Rutter’s Gloria as the main work – the first time LCS had performed it. Other repertoire in this concert included Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs and Thompson’s Frostiana song cycle in its entirety. In December our Christmas concert focused mainly on carols, with the choir also performing three Movements from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 , in some ways a taster, looking ahead to our major concert in the Spring term.
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LCS had been originally due to perform the Vespers in March 2020, but this was cancelled just two days beforehand owing to the first Covid lockdown. The concert was eventually rescheduled for April 2022 at Holy Trinity Sloane Square –an important milestone for many members who were committed to its performance. The fortnight leading up to the concert in April saw Covid infections rise nationally and many members unfortunately were unable to perform. But we were very grateful to some singers from other choirs who had performed the work recently and were able to join us on the day. We were accompanied by His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts along with seven vocal soloists in what was an exhilarating and moving performance that will remain in people’s memories for a long time.
Lewisham is London’s Borough of Culture in 2022 with the Choir taking part in several events that have supported and promoted “WeAreLewisham ”. At launch day in January, a group of singers performed a variety of pieces in the open air at Lewisham station. At this we gave the first performance of a new piece Room for All by Barbara Dudek, commissioned by the Council, which recognised Lewisham as a place of Sanctuary, one of the main themes of the year. A few months later, also as part of the Borough of Culture programme, a group of members performed at St Dunstan’s summer festival in their Big Tent to showcase some of our current repertoire.
At our summer concert in Saint Mary’s, LCS took up the second theme of the Borough of Culture year which was to highlight the impact of climate change and the need to protect our natural environment. The programme included Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby, Will Todd’s Songs of Magical Creatures, Tavener’s Tyger and Lamb , Dove’s Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars and two piano solo pieces sumptuously played by LCS’s Deputy Music Director Nico de Villiers: the Maiden and the Nightingale by Granados and Maxwell Davies’ Farewell to Stromness. The centrepiece of the concert was Whitacre’s Cloudburst in which the choir were joined by percussion ensemble Orchestra da Camera to great effect.
We have benefited from a new website during he season. Designed by one of our Trustees, the aim has been to make LCS more attractive to potential new recruits and to focus on how we can increasingly diversify our membership base so that we are more inclusive of Lewisham’s communities. At a practical level, the new website also aims to improve accessibility and make it easier for members to transact day-to-day business e.g. subscriptions, ordering music etc.
Throughout the year, we have been very well supported by our Music Team: Dan Ludford-Thomas and Nico de Villiers have provided excellent leadership and have encouraged the choir to grow in both technical skills and musical confidence. We learned at the end of the season that Nico had secured a new post as Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, so after 12 years’ association with LCS he left us in July. We are fortunate to have secured an interim Deputy Director: Chad Vindin who will join us for the new season in September 2022. We have a full programme of concerts planned for 2022/23 beginning with a collaboration with the Frisian Chamber Orchestra (FKO) who will perform with LCS in early October in a programme that includes Haydn’s Nelson Mass, and a return concert for a group of LCS singers later in the month in Leeuwarden.
Financial review
Income for the year was £29k and expenditure was £39k. Compared to the previous year, income and expenditure were both significantly higher because of the concert income and associated costs. As in previous years, the main source of income was membership subscriptions and the main area of expenditure was the regular rehearsal costs including fees paid to the Music Team and the venue hire. It should be noted that income does not include Gift Aid; whilst a claim for £2,873 was submitted to HMRC, payment was not received until after the year end and will therefore be included in total receipts in the next year.
LCS incurred a deficit for the year of £9,567 which was met from available funds. The main reasons for the deficit were mainly due to the full programme of concerts and events and to the late receipt of the Gift Aid claim.
Total funds at 31 August 2022 were £23,008. The Committee’s reserves policy is to hold sufficient funds in reserves to cover the costs of the next two major concerts. At 31 August 2022, reserves met this requirement.
Signed on behalf of the trustees
Date 18 October 2022
Brenda Scanlan, Chair
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LEWISHAM CHORAL SOCIETY
Receipts & Payments Account for the year to 31 August 2022
| LEWISHAM CHORAL SOCIETY Receipts & Payments Account for the year to 31 |
August 2022 | August 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2020/21 £ £ |
||
| RECEIPTS Subscriptions Gift Aid claim Music sales / hire Rehearsal refreshments Donations / other Concert income: tickets & refreshments Choir history TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Music Director / Asst Music Director Rehearsal venue Concerts: venues, facilities, other Concert professional fees Advertising Music purchases / hire Choir history Making Music subscription & insurance Website / other TOTAL PAYMENTS NET RECEIPTS/-PAYMENTS Brought forward funds Funds carried forward |
£16,100 £0 £3,430 £268 £269 £9,298 £41 |
£11,180 £2,018 £1,017 £0 £506 £0 £228 |
| £29,406 | £14,948 | |
| -£11,081 -£2,835 -£6,375 -£12,940 -£159 -£4,171 -£0 -£438 -£973 |
-£11,020 -£2,436 £0 £0 -£20 -£823 -£224 -£613 -£768 |
|
| -£38,972 | **-£15,904 ** | |
| -£9,566 £32,574 |
-£956 £33,530 |
|
| £23,008 | £32,574 |
| Assets and liabilities at31 August 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bank Cash / cheques in hand Total cash funds |
£ £22,837 £172 |
£ £32,433 £141 |
| £23,008 | £32,574 | |
Signed
Brenda Scanlan, Chair
Date 18 October 2022
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Lewisham Choral Society
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Lewisham Choral Society (the Society) for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of Lewisham Choral Society you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Society’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
John Howard FCA
Chartered Accountant Thornwood Road Hither Green London SE13
Date: 18 October 2022
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