**Annual Report for Eclectic Voices Society for the year ending 31 August 2024** Registered Charity 1052289 Governing Document: CONSTITUTION AS AMENDED 11TH JANUARY 1996 AS AMENDED BY RESOLUTION DATED 27 SEP 2018 Trustees: MR TIMOTHY LOWE MS NADIA WEEKES MR ANDREW WOOD Trustees are appointed by election at Annual General Meeting, or exceptionally at an Extraordinary 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 representatives from each of the voice parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass). Other members of the committee are the Musical Director, the Deputy Musical Director (also director of the children’s and youth choirs) 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 rehearses at American International Church in Tottenham Court Road, London |Date|Location|Event| |---|---|---| |22Oct2023|UnionChapel|Morning service-Singet dem Herrn| |10 Nov2023|Actors Church|Graduale/Songs ofthe Spirit withNiklas WinterGroup| |23 Nov2023|St Pauls
Cathedral|Supported the choir of AIC to sing at the American
Thanksgiving service| |03Dec2023|AIC|PerformedBach‘sMagnificat as part of morning service| |10Dec2023|UnionChapel|Bach Christmas 1723 concert, including Bach’s Magnificat,
with DameEmmaKirkby as soloist| |17Dec2023|Christ Church
Highbury|Christmas CarolService| |17Feb2024|St Giles
Cripplegate|Mozart Mass in C Minor with Robert Levin and the Covent
GardenChamberOrchestra| |16Mar 2024|Christ Church|Community concert with HYC| |29Mar 2024|AIC|Haydn's StabatMaterwith AIC choir| |11 May2024|AIC|Singers Choice concert| |8-9 Jun2024|Finland|Graduale/Songs of the Spirit with Niklas Winter and Henry
Lowther. 8thJune Kallio Church, Helsinki, 9thJune, Turku
Cathedral.| Publicity material for a selection of our events Eclectic Voices and Niklas Winter Group Graduale - Songs of the Spirit Eclectlc Volces returns to the London Jazz Festlval kn (￿adua￿. a new collaboratlon wlth Fknnlsh gultarfst Nklas Wlnter's ensen*)le, aloroslde muslc by Pat Meth￿, JITt Pepper, Scott Stromarfs Songs of the Stylt Eckctlc v￿ceS_. amateur cho* on p￿rI￿r￿e certthlywofesslonakn exBcuu￿. - London A Ctyla Festlval Mklas Wknterls 1horouth capt1valin￿ - Joth Keknan, l About Jazz 20.00 Frlday10 N(N 2023 £20/£15 concesslons ErG 020 7836 5221 AIIFISIIVAI T P.IUL'S CHURCH Box 0￿e(w￿ bef(xe the alvertised S￿ tme Bach: Christmas 1723 Sunday 10 December 2023 17.00 at Union Chapel Eclectic Voices City Bach Collective Scott Stroman conductor Emma Kirkby soprano Jonathan Eyers bass The outstanding London choir is joined by the Feriod instruments of the Clty Bach Collective and one of the most cherished of Barcque sopranos in a programme celebrating the music Bach created for Christmas 1723. his first In Lolpzig. J.S. Bach - Chorus and Chorale. Singet dem He￿n (BWV190) J.S. Bach - In Dulci Jubilo J.S. Bach - Motet Singet dem Herrn (BVIV 225) A.Vivaldi Winter from The Four Seasons J.S. Bach - Magnificat (wtth Christmas inserts) UNION CHAPEL CHURCH 19b Compton Tgrra¢e. London N12UN Tickets £20 [£15 concession) vailabl• from ocl•¢ticvoi¢•s.or Mozart ass in C Minor as com wlth ah introductlon to classical . improvisation by David Dolan and an introduction to the Mass and its completion by Robert Levin leted b Robert Levin Saturday 17 February 2024 7.30 pm St Giles Church, Cripplegate Fore St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DA Eclectic Voices with Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Scott Stroman Alexandra Achillea Pouta and Adaya Peled, sopranos Michael Lafferty, tenor Redmond Sanders, baritone Eclectict6ices CGCO Tickets £20. £15 (concessions) from eclecticvoices.org.uk wy￿.cgco.Org.uk 1È4st#Èdcharty1052289 STABAT MATER o by Joseph Haydn Good Friday, 29 March 2024 17:00 Admission Free 'American Internatlonal Church W1T4TD Choir of American International Church Eclectic Voices Waterhouse Ensemble Nina Kanter and Joanna Siobhain Gibson. alto Nick Allen. tenor Jonathan Eyers, ass Scoh Strornan. conijuctor so ronos amchurch.co.uk £Gershwin Mancini rantten ! RVW- Singers Vojcess rJFclecÈiEhoicec so ffJ Parry. Baclic ano," LX (U" EBach+ (n Niklas Winter Guitar Sarah Wilkinson Organ Eclectic Voices Directed by Scott Stroman American International Church El"- 79a Tottenham Lourt Koaa, Loncjon vv-l 1 4 1 L) 7:30 pm Saturday 11th May 2024 j tickets via eclecticvoices.org.uk £20/£15 EI ## **HIGHBURY YOUTH CHOIRS ACTIVITIES** Highbury Youth Choir meets weekly at Christ Church, Highbury, and is led by Hannah King and Sarah Wilkinson. September 2023 started with a performance at the Islington Youth Prom by our Senior Choir, which included a number conducted by one of our members. We followed this with an Open Showcase in October, for parents & carers to come and see what we had been working on, before a Christmas performance at St James Islington in December. In February 2024 members of our Junior and Senior choirs recorded the children’s choir parts for an album of Christmas music by Harvey Brough (released December 2024). We then finished that term with a March Spring Concert and tea party at Christ Church Highbury Barn. We performed our Summer Concert at Christ Church again in June and hosted a choir social picnic in Highbury Fields the week after. Membership continues to grow, particularly in the Senior Choir, and we were able to support several bursary places. ## **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, principally in London - 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. ## **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 neither paid out nor raised money during the year. ## **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** |**INCOME**|| |---|---| |EV Subscriptions (inc study days)|11995| |HYS Subscriptions|6220| |Concert Income|14872| |Music sales|733| |Bank interest*|25| |Sponsorship and donations|1504| |Gift Aid Claim this year to be received|4113| |Sundry income|92| |HYS uniform sales|110| |Donations for HYC Bursaries|1809| |**total**|**41473**| |**EXPENDITURE**|| |---|---| |EV Professional fees (inc study days)|10258| |HYS Professional fees|6665| |Concert Expenditure|17381| |Music purchase|1379| |Examiners fee|300| |MM Sub & Insurance|675| |Venue Hire|4768| |Printing and Publicity|269| |Bank fees|120| |Sundry Expenditure|35| |MD Expenses|1074| |HYS Sundries|175| |HYS Uniform|410| |**total**|**43509**| ## **BALANCE SHEET** |**Assets**|| |---|---| |Cash|0| |Bank account|9694| |Gift Aid claimed, not yet received|4113| |Other debtors|0| |**Liabilities**|| |None|0| |**Net assets**|**13806**| ## **RESERVED FUNDS** The choir has reserved funds for New Music, HYC Bursaries and the People’s Messiah project. |**Reserved Funds- New Music**|| |---|---| |At start of year|737| |Raised|0| |Spent|0| |**Reserved Funds at end of year - New Music**|**737 **| |**Reserved Funds- HYC Bursaries**|| |---|---| |At start of year|1384| |Raised|1809| |Number of free places=? @ 60|22| |Spent|1320| |**Reserved Funds at end of year- Bursaries**|**1873**| ## **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 2024, 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: 23 May 2025