Bournemouth Bach Choir Trustee Report August 2023 to July 2024
Summary
A wonderful season of growth for the choir, with an influx of new members and higher audience figures. We shared some great music and finished the season in a good financial position.
Concerts
Our first concert fell on Remembrance Day. We were privileged to perform Mozart’s Requiem and Purcell’s Funeral Music in Wimborne Minster. An atmospheric and moving performance was very much appreciated by a wrapt audience.
In December we returned to The Priory in Christchurch for a great performance of The Messiah and a larger audience than in 2022.
Our beloved Bach was the focus for March. The Ascension Oratorio was new to many members. Bach’s Magnificat, Zelenka’s Mass and a Handel’s Laureate Pueri completed a splendid programme. It was a special evening that delighted a good size audience, especially for lesser known works.
A bitter-sweet addition to our concert year was a memorial concert in memory of our President Emeritus Dick Jones who sadly passed away in the Spring. Without Dick there would not be a Bournemouth Bach Choir. His vision, encouragement, and practical support over the years is something the choir will never forget. Singing as long as he was able, we were honoured to be invited by his wife Jenny to their delightful church in Fontmell Magma. A lovely selection of music that was close to Dick’s heart was very much appreciated by a packed audience.
July brought our concert season a close at The Priory with a celebration of classics from the Baroque and Classical period. The feast included Vivaldi’s Magnificat, Zelenka’s Miserere, Haydn’s Little Organ Mass, the Bach motet Furchte dich nicht, and Jesu Joy. Tim once again found brilliant soloists and assembled a talented orchestra to treat us to The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba and ever popular Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Fun and Fundraising
Fund raising plugs the gap between the cost of Choral concerts and income raised from ticket prices. This season we were pleased to have good audiences and strong fund-raising. This resulted in less subsidy than in some previous seasons at £3463.
Financially we benefited from generous sponsorship from the Foresters, Chorali Fiscus and Tappers Funeral Service. And we are extremely grateful for the donations from our Friends scheme and Choir members - all boosted by HMRC Gift Aid.
An end of season Quiz Night raised over £650 despite clashing with the Euro football finals. Many thanks to Liz for preparing excellent, amusing, and innovative rounds of questions. Our thanks to everyone supporting us, selling anything from coffee, home produce and music folders. Every pound makes such a difference.
Financial Position and Outlook
Although there were significant escalations in our costs which caused us to increase ticket prices this did not seem to deter our followers. Indeed the choir managed to raise more funds than we spent, showing a profit of nearly four and a half thousand pounds. Publicity to attract larger audiences to enjoy our concerts has been very helpful and all choir members are encouraged to be active promoters.
Reserves at the end of the 2024 season are just over £25,000. This will help us to undertake some more expensive concerts that we have been reluctant to commit to in recent years.
Committee Carolyn Butterworth Jenny Way
David Way Derek Warner Jane Aspinall Janet Spratt Nigel Spratt
| BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | BOURNEMOUTH BACH CHOIR Year Ending 31 July 24 | Registered Charity No 1067743 | Registered Charity No 1067743 | Registered Charity No 1067743 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME & EXPENDITURE | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| INCOME | |||||||||
| Subscription Payments | £ | 8,514.00 | £ | 7,725.00 | |||||
| Gift Aid Rebate from HMRC | £ | 2,367.91 | £ | 2,625.05 | |||||
| Income from Donations | £ | 3,192.00 | £ | 3,740.00 | |||||
| Fund Raising Income | £ | 1,547.87 | £ | 1,563.60 | |||||
| Other(incl overstated accruals) | £ | 100.00 | £ | 211.67 | |||||
| Appreciation and Interest | £ | 584.37 | £ | 100.49 | |||||
| Concert Income | **£ ** | 22,619.47 | £ | 16,361.34 | |||||
| **£ ** | 38,925.62 | £ | 32,327.15 | ||||||
| EXPENDITURE | |||||||||
| Rehearsal Costs | **£ ** | (6,849.95) | £ | (6,048.70) | |||||
| Making Music (Insurance) | £ | (675.00) | £ | (634.00) | |||||
| Publicity and web site | £ | (236.78) | £ | (240.57) | |||||
| Other Expenses | £ | (635.73) | £ | (185.75) | |||||
| Other | £ | (31.67) | £ | (54.97) | |||||
| Concert Expenses | £(26,079.00) | £ | (23,275.54) | ||||||
| Results for individual Concerts: | |||||||||
| _Mozart Requiem - Wimborne _ | _£ _ | (1,685.00) | |||||||
| _Messiah -Priory _ | £ | 952.00 | |||||||
| _Memorial Concert - Fontmell Magna _ | £ | (465.00) | |||||||
| _Bach Ascenscion Oratorio- Priory _ | _£ _ | (1,421.00) | |||||||
| _Vivaldi/Zelenka - Priory _ | £ | (844.00) | |||||||
| Total SUBSIDY | £ (3,463.00) | £ (3,463.00) | £(34,508.13) | £ | 0.00 | £ | (30,439.53) | ||
| Excess of Income Over Expenditure | £ | 4,417.49 | £ | 1,887.62 | |||||
| BALANCE SHEET at 31 July | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||
| Debtors(amount owed to us) | £ | 4,860.50 | |||||||
| Value of Investments | £ | 7,608.85 | £ | 7,024.49 | |||||
| Cash at hand and in Bank | **£ ** | 16,931.57 | £ | 14,985.12 | |||||
| £ | 29,400.92 | £ | 22,009.61 | ||||||
| LIABILITIES | |||||||||
| Creditors(Invoices awaited/Uncleared cheques) | £ | (3,802.90) | £ | (829.07) | |||||
| Deferred Income (Grants) | |||||||||
| TOTAL NET ASSETS | **£ ** | 25,598.02 | £ | 21,180.54 | |||||
| Balance at previous 1st August: | Balance at previous 1st August: | **£ ** | 21,180.54 | £ | 19,292.92 | ||||
| (Deficit)/Surplus for Year: | £ 4,417.49 ~~OO~~ |
£ | 1,887.62 | ||||||
| £ | 25,598.03 | £ | 21,180.54 | ||||||
| Treasurer: Jane Aspinall ~~Si~~ |
~~Si~~ | ~~Si~~ | ~~Si~~ | ~~Si~~ | Date: | 4-3-25 |
I have examined the Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31st July 2024 and the Balance Sheet as at that date, without carrying out an audit, and have found them to be in accordance with the books and records supplied to me. Inspector: Date: 04/03/2025
Olga Crist
Date: 04/03/2025