Annual Report for Eclectic Voices Society for the year ending 31 August 2025
Registered Charity 1052289
Governing Document: CONSTITUTION AS AMENDED 11TH JANUARY 1996 AS AMENDED BY RESOLUTION DATED 27 SEP 2018
Trustees:
MR TIMOTHY LOWE MS HILARY NEAL 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
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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:
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Eclectic Voices adult choir, directed by Scott Stroman, the Musical Director
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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.
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REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES – Adult Choir
The choir rehearses weekly during term time at American International Church in Tottenham Court Road, London.
| Date | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 12, 19, 26 September 2024 |
American International Church | A series of three open workshops to give newcomers experience of singing a range of musical styles, and an introduction to the year’s concertprogramme. |
| 15 November 2024 |
The Warehouse, venue near Waterloo |
Two sets of modern, Latin American and jazz music performed as part of the Lontano International Festival |
| 1 December 2024 |
American International Church | Bach BWV61 with the choir of the American International Church and professional orchestra |
| 10 December 2024 |
Trafalgar Square |
Outreach – carol singing to raise money for the Samaritans |
| 15 December 2024 |
Union Chapel |
Britten and Bach – concert including Bach BWV61, Britten’s Cantate Misericordium and Britten’s St Nicolas, with Adrian Thompson |
| 20 January 2025 |
Milton Court, Barbican | Concert with Robert Levin and Blaze Ensemble, Mozart Requiem K626 as completed by Robert Levin. |
| 28 March 2025 |
St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden |
Requiem for Water, concert with Lucy Rahman and Yousef Ali Khan |
| 23 May-26 May 2025 |
Geneva | Performance of Songs in the Key of Life with International Voices of Geneva |
| 7 June 2025 | St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden |
Performance of Songs in the Key of Life with International Voices of Geneva |
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Publicity material for a selection of our events
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HIGHBURY YOUTH CHOIRS ACTIVITIES
Highbury Youth Choir meets weekly at Christ Church, Highbury, and is led by Hannah King and Sarah Wilkinson.
The 2024-5 season for HYC started with a performance by our Senior Choir at the Islington Youth Prom, followed by a parent showcase at the October half term point. We had 3 performances in December - a whole choir concert on 12th Dec, a carol-singing performance at Battersea Park Childrens’ Zoo on the 13th, and a performance of Britten’s St. Nicholas for the Senior choir with Eclectic Voices on the 15th.
In the Spring term we performed at Christ Church Highbury on March 20th performing a literary-themed programme.
In the Summer term, we performed again at Christ Church on the 3rd July with a naturethemed programme. We also took part in the ’Sounds Sublime’ festival run by professional choir, The Sixteen, where Junior and Senior Choir members took part in workshops with professional singers and an outdoor courtyard performance. We provided bursary places to 6 members over the year.
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GRANTS
Eclectic Voices received no grants during the year.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The trustees consider that they provide a public benefit in:
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providing a musical education to the children of Highbury
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inspiring the children of Highbury to higher musical achievements, by training and performing with top professional musicians
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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 Charity Commission guidance CC16b, 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.
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STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
| INCOME | 2024-5 | 2023-4 |
|---|---|---|
| EV Subscriptions (inc study days) | 15343 | 11995 |
| HYS Subscriptions | 6960 | 6220 |
| Concert Income | 13119 | 14872 |
| Music sales | 3277 | 733 |
| Interest received | 103 | 25 |
| Receipts from Fund Raising activities | 17 | 0 |
| Sponsorship and donations | 565 | 1504 |
| Gift Aid Claim this year to be received | 4627 | 4113 |
| Sundry income | 14 | 92 |
| HYS uniform sales | 220 | 110 |
| Donations for HYC Bursaries | 1675 | 1809 |
| total | 45919 | 41473 |
| EXPENDITURE | 2024-5 | 2023-4 |
|---|---|---|
| EV Professional fees (inc study days) | 12575 | 10258 |
| HYS Professional fees | 8385 | 6665 |
| Concert Expenditure | 18750 | 17381 |
| Music purchase | 3848 | 1379 |
| Sundry expenditure | 75 | 0 |
| Examiners fee | 300 | 300 |
| MM Sub & Insurance | 700 | 675 |
| Venue Hire | 4282 | 4768 |
| Printing and Publicity | 305 | 269 |
| Bank fees | 120 | 120 |
| Sundry Expenditure | 127 | 35 |
| MD Expenses | 343 | 1074 |
| HYC Sundries | 0 | 175 |
| HYC Uniform | 315 | 410 |
| total | 50125 | 43509 |
Statement of Assets
| Assets | |
|---|---|
| Cash | 0 |
| Bank account | 4973 |
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| Gift Aid claimed, not yet received | 4627 |
|---|---|
| Other debtors | 0 |
| Liabilities | |
| None | 0 |
| Net assets | 9600 |
RESERVED FUNDS
The choir has reserved funds for New Music and HYC Bursaries.
| 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 | 1873 |
| Raised | 1675 |
| Number of free terms offered at £60/term | 14 |
| Spent | 840 |
| Reserved Funds at end of year- Bursaries | 2708 |
DESIGNATED FUNDS
The choir has no designated funds.
Due to rounding, totals may not add exactly.
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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 2025, 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:
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examine the accounts (under section 43(3)(a) of the 1993 Act);
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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
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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
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
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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: 3 February 2026