2022-08-31-accounts

Annual Report for Eclectic Voices Society for the year ending 31 August 2022

Registered Charity 1052289

Governing Document: CONSTITUTION AS AMENDED 11TH JANUARY 1996 AS AMENDED BY RESOLUTION DATED 27 SEP 2018

Trustees:

MR TIMOTHY LOWE MS JULIETTE CHATTERTON MS NADIA WEEKES

Trustees are appointed by election at Annual General Meeting.

Contact address for the charity:

8, Rotherwick Road, London, NW11 7DA

Bankers

CAFCASH LTD

Independent Examiner C HEATH 15 HEATH ROW BISHOP'S STORTFORD HERTS

OBJECTS

As stated in the Constitution:

The objects of the Society shall be:

a) to educate the public including the children of local schools in North London by the presentation of as wide a range of music as possible, including specially written works, this music being primarily presented by Eclectic Voices and

b) to or towards or for the benefit or furtherance of such charitable purposes or charitable institutions as the Committee in their absolute discretion shall think fit.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The charity is run by a committee, of which the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are elected, as are the voice reps. Other members of the committee are the Musical Director, the Deputy Musical Director (also director of the children’s and youth choirs), representatives from each of the voice parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) and others as co-opted at the discretion of the committee.

Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are the Trustees of the charity.

The choir is structured as two parts:

• Eclectic Voices adult choir, directed by Scott Stroman, the Musical Director

• Highbury Youth Choirs, for children and teenagers, directed by Sarah Wilkinson, codirector Hannah King.

RELATED PARTIES

No reportable transactions with related parties occurred during the year.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES – Adult Choir

The choir rehearsed weekly at Christ Church, Highbury.

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Date Location Event
25/26/27 Sept Bloomsbury Theatre EV supported the Highbury Opera Theatre in a
2021 production of ‘The Weekend’, an opera by Scott
Stroman/Tamsin Collinson, based on the play by
Michael Palin.
6 Nov 2021 Actor’s Church Rich Mix – a concert showing the full range of
Eclectic Voices’ repertoire, including classical,
folk, gospel and jazz music.
9 Dec 2021 Christ Church Supporting HYC in their Christmas concert
18 Dec 2021 Actor’s Church Yuletide Folk concert, with Chris Wood and
Rob Harbron
26 March 2022 Christ Church Supporting HYC in their concert
27 March 2022 Union Chapel, Bach’s Jesu Meine Freude, as part of Sunday
Islington service
3 April 2022 American International Bach’s Jesu Meine Freude, as part of Sunday
Church service
10 April 2022 Actor’s Church Bach for Easter: a programme of Bach with the
City Bach Collective
28 May 2022 Actor’s Church Bright Horizons concert with Choir of St Giles
Cathedral, Carnyx Brass, including premieres of
pieces by Brendan Musk and Patrick Kenny
4 June 2022 St Giles’ Cathedral, Bright Horizons concert with Choir of St Giles
Edinburgh Cathedral, Carnyx Brass at Actors Church
5 June 2022 Abbotshall Church, Sunday morning service
Kircaldy, Fife
30 June 2022 Christ Church, Supporting HYC in their concert ‘Songs from
Highbury the Shows’
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HIGHBURY YOUTH CHOIRS ACTIVITIES

HYC performed 2 concerts in the autumn term of 2021 - the first with Eclectic Voices was and live band in St Paul’s Covent Garden. We also performed a Family Carol Concert at our home in Christ Church Highbury Barn on December 9th. In the spring we celebrated our 25th Anniversary with a concert on 26th March, where we formally launched our Bursary programme. Over the year we provided 6 full bursary places to children who otherwise would not have been able to join. Our Summer concert was on the 30th June at Christ Church, and was titled Songs from the Shows, and we rounded off the year with a summer social.

GRANTS

Eclectic Voices received no grants during the year.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

The trustees consider that they provide a public benefit in:

• providing a musical education to the children of Highbury

• inspiring the children of Highbury to higher musical achievements, by training and performing with top professional musicians

• enabling amateur singers to learn music and perform at a high level with top professional musicians

• providing musical performances for the general public in Highbury and other venues - providing music at no charge to groups who might otherwise be unable to hear, afford, or enjoy live music (Outreach Programme)

• encouraging and facilitating performance of original music.

The children’s choir is open to all. The adult choir sets a minimum musical standard (tested through a simple audition process). The concessionary fees for low income members (and, exceptionally, assistance with the other costs of involvement with the choir) ensure that no one is barred from taking part by financial constraints.

OUTREACH AND CHARITY

The choir retains a fund earmarked for the ‘People’s Messiah’ project: this will be the focus of outreach in a following year.

NEW MUSIC FUND

It is part of the choir’s vision to encourage performance of new music, and to enable composers to provide it. The choir has raised funds (reported as Reserved Funds in the accounts) with the intention of commissioning new work with a choral element from aspiring young composers.

The New Music fund paid small fees to authors of new Christmas carols (commissioned Autumn 2019). In addition, a fee of £2000 was paid via Carnyx Brass to two new composers, who provided new music for our Edinburgh performance.

HYC BURSARIES

The choir accepts donations to fund free places at HYC for children whose families would otherwise not be able to afford the termly subscriptions. This is administered by the HYC professional team.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounts are prepared using a Receipts and Payments model, using the guidance on this model in SORP revised 2000 issued by the Charity Commission, with the exception that income from Gift Aid tax claims is recorded in the year of the claim not the year in which the funds are received.

STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

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INCOME
EV Subscriptions (inc study days) 11720
HYS Subscriptions 5130
Concert Income 4970
Music sales 2275
Refreshments 414
Bank interest 1
Sale of recordings 10
Receipts from Fund Raising activities 155
Gift Aid Claim this year to be received 4299
HYS uniform sales 130
New Music Fund donations 1626
Messiah Donations 1089
Donations for HYC Bursaries 1541
Total 33358
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EXPENDITURE
EV Professional fees (inc study days) 9733
HYS Professional fees 5546
Concert Expenditure 8598
Music purchase 2995
MM Sub & Insurance 622
Venue Hire 5843
Printing and Publicity 128
Bank fees 186
Sundry Expenditure 335
New Music Fund commissions 2060
Total 36045
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BALANCE SHEET

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Assets
Cash 0
Bank account 8734
Gift Aid claimed, not yet received 4899
Other debtors 0
Liabilities
None 0
Net assets 13033
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RESERVED FUNDS

The choir has reserved funds for New Music, HYC Bursaries and the People’s Messiah project.

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Reserved Funds - New Music
At start of year 737
Raised 1626
Spent 2060
Reserved Funds at end of year - New Music 303
Reserved Funds - Messiah Project
At start of year 3894
Raised 1089
Spent 0
Reserved Funds at end of year - Messiah
Project 4983
Reserved Funds - HYC Bursaries
At start of year 0
Raised 1541
Number of free places = 12 @ £60
Spent 720
Reserved Funds at end of year - Bursaries 821
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Unreserved Funds at end of year 6926	Unreserved Funds at end of year 6926
Sum of Reserved and Unreserved	13033

DESIGNATED FUNDS

The choir has no designated funds.

Due to rounding, totals may not add exactly.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ECLECTIC VOICES SOCIETY

I report on the accounts of the Society for the year ended 31 August 2022, which are set out on pages 1 to 5.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);

• to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act); and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of examiner’s statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act have not been met.; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Christopher E J Heath

Certified Management Consultant, MIC Address: 15 Heath Row Bishop’s Stortford Herts. CM23 5DH

Date: 19 July 2023