## **EXULTATE SINGERS** **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023** Charity No: 1101751 ## **EXULTATE SINGERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023** ## **INDEX** |Contents
Trustees annual report
Independent examiner's report
Receipts & payments account
Statement of assets & liabilities|Page No| |---|---| ||
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9| ## **GENERAL INFORMATION** ## **CHARITY ADDRESS** 13 Oak Grove Easton In Gordano Bristol BS20 0LN ## **BANKERS** CAF Bank Ltd PO Box 289 West Malling Kent ME19 4TA ## **ACCOUNTANTS** Sam Forsey ACA Kelson House Bakers Lane Chilcompton BA3 4EW ## **EXULTATE SINGERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023** ## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Objectives** Exultate Singers’ objectives are as follows: - _To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all aspects by the presentation of public concerts and other events._ - _To give musicians in Bristol and the surrounding counties an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the community through performance._ - _To apply funds to other charitable organisations._ In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance, including the guidance on public benefit and fee charging. Exultate Singers relies on donations and also income from fees and charges to cover its operating costs. In setting the level of fees, charges and concessions, the trustees give careful consideration to the accessibility of concerts for those on low incomes, such as students and children. ## **Trustees and Governance** Exultate Singers is an association regulated by its constitution which was adopted on 5 November 2003. The Trustees of Exultate Singers during the year were: Susan Green Chairman Ian Carpenter Treasurer Christopher Gray Richard Johnson Philippa Ramsay Joanna Wyld Accountant: Sam Forsey. Trustees are elected at the charity’s annual general meeting for a period of one year, or until the next annual general meeting, when they may be re-elected. ## **Activities and achievements 1 August 2022 – 31 July 2023** ## Sunday 4 October 2022 - **Music on the Quantocks** Exultate Singers perform a programme of Renaissance music at St James Church in Taunton as part of the Music on the Quantocks series. Saturday 15 October 2022 - **The Heart's Voice** Exultate Singers are joined by Craig Ogden and Gary Ryan, two charismatic and entertaining virtuosi of the guitar, for an entertaining of music with folksong associations, as well as works by Vaughan Williams to celebrate the composer's 150th birthday Saturday 10 and Wednesday 14 December 2022 - **Carols by Candlelight** Exultate Singers' annual concerts of beautiful carols and Christmas music in the medieval church of St James Priory in central Bristol. ## Monday 19 December 2022 - **Christmas Spectacular** Exultate Singers and Bristol Ensemble's annual Christmas Spectacular, a wonderfully entertaining and uplifting evening of Christmas music and readings at St George's Bristol Saturday 11 March 2023 - **Easter by Candlelight** 1 A feast of beautiful Renaissance and Baroque choral music from Italy, Portugal and Spain. ## Saturday 13 May 2023 - **Euro Choralvision Song Concert** A brilliantly entertaining concert of sacred and secular choral music from around Europe in a kaleidoscope of languages and musical styles, revealing how vividly each country’s identity is expressed in its music. ## **Plans for 2023 – 2024 Season** ## 4-6 August 2023 – **Liverpool Cathedral Services** Singing in the UK’s largest Anglican cathedral. ## 1 October 2023 – **Sense of the Divine – Seasons of Life and Leaf** Exultate Singers performs an intriguing programme inspired by the seasons, including the world premiere of a new work by Roxanna Panufnik ## 15 October 2023, **Autumn Serenade** The perfect way to spend an Autumn afternoon; glorious choral music performed in the uplifting acoustic of St John's Glastonbury ## 21 October 2023 - **Concert in Antwerp** A concert in Sint-Pauluskerk, Antwerp of music from across the centuries including works by Belgian renaissance composers. ## 23 October 2023 - **Concert in Bruges** A concert in Sint-Salvatorskatherdraal, Bruges of music from across the centuries including works by Belgian renaissance composers. ## Sunday 26 November 2023 - **Music on the Quantocks** A welcome return to St James Church in Taunton or an afternoon of magical seasonal choral music from across the centuries. Part of the Music on the Quantocks series. ## Saturday 9 and Wednesday 13 December 2023 - **Carols by Candlelight** Exultate Singers' annual carol concerts in the beautiful setting of St James Priory in central Bristol. ## Monday 18 December 2023 - **Christmas Spectacular** Exultate Singers and Bristol Ensemble's annual Christmas Spectacular, a wonderfully entertaining and uplifting evening of Christmas music and readings at St George's Bristol. ## Sunday 17 March 2024 – **J.S. Bach – St John Passion** Exultate Singers is joined by an outstanding line up of soloists, together with a specialist baroque orchestra from the Bristol Ensemble to perform Bach's St John Passion. 2 ## **CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES** - _To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all aspects by the presentation of public concerts and other events._ - _To give musicians in Bristol and the surrounding counties an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the community through performance._ - _To apply funds to other charitable organisations._ Exultate Singers seeks to attain its objectives as follows: ## _**To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all aspects by the presentation of public concerts and other events.**_ To this end, Exultate Singers provides informative and educational programme notes to every concert, and these are usually given away free of charge to audience members to ensure that they have a full account of the music that is being performed. The information on our website also provides a good introduction to our concerts, providing an opportunity for prospective audience members to research the content before buying tickets. In addition to this, especially in the more informal concerts, there is often a verbal introduction to the pieces performed to engage the audience by providing the historical and/or musical context of the piece. The information imparted comes from a variety of sources: - l the Conductor’s own knowledge and experience of the music built up over a life-long career in choral music; - l online research using resources such as Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians; Making Music; choirs.net; Boosey & Hawkes; the BBC website and other specific websites and resources specific to particular periods or events. The repertoire covered is broad and balanced, including more challenging and lesser-known pieces along with more popular repertoire. Exultate Singers concerts are frequently based upon a distinct theme, such as the anniversary of important historical events, to engage the interest of the audience and to link pieces together in an educational and informative way. There is also an attempt to contextualise the pieces in ways that are meaningful and relevant to audiences. Across the 2022-2023 season Exultate Singers introduced several newly composed pieces of music in their concerts which introduced their audiences to a range of new and novel music. These pieces included the following: - l _Folksong suite,_ Trad. arranged by Gary Ryan (1st performance) - l _Live with me and be my love,_ Nigel Hess arranged by Gary Ryan (1st performance) - l _Ukrainian Lullaby,_ Trad. Ukrainian arranged by Barbara Rusbridge (1st performance) - l _Quelle est cette odeur agréable,_ Trad. French arranged by Ian Carpenter (1st performance) - l _Out of the blossom sprang a thorn,_ by Hywel Davies _(1st performance)_ 3 ## _**To give musicians in Bristol and the surrounding counties an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the community through performance.**_ - l Exultate Singers’ continues to represent musicians from Bristol and the surrounding counties, with current members from City of Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Cornwall. Particular attention is paid to recruiting and training younger singers and they pay reduced choir subscription fees. - l During 2022–2023 Exultate Singers worked with local orchestra the Bristol Ensemble. - l Exultate Singers also performed with guitarists Craig Ogden and Gary Ryan. - l Members of Exultate singers have been given opportunities to develop as solo performers on numerous occasions. - l Members of Exultate singers have been given opportunities to conduct small groups. - l Musical development opportunities have also been given to our own long-standing and outstanding accompanist and organist Richard Johnson. ## _**To apply funds to other charitable organisations.**_ Exultate Singers continues to support local churches and other institutions, both in their use as concert venues and also by performing concerts to help with their fund-raising efforts as detailed below. Exultate Singers supports other musical charities such as orchestras by providing choral groups as necessary for their musical repertoire. |Date|Concert|Amount raised|BenefitingCharities| |---|---|---|---| |10 and 14 December 2022|Carols by Candlelight|£1000.00|St James Priory
Registered Charity No. 1104408| |10 and 14 December 2022|Carols by Candlelight|£1000.00|Gympanzees
Registered Charity No. 1189375| |21 December 2022|Street Carol Singing|£1099.82|St Peter’s Hospice
Registered Charity No. 269177| ## **Support of Local Venues** During the year ending 31 July 2023 Exultate Singers supported local churches and other institutions by hiring rehearsal space and/or holding concerts at the following venues: - l Redland Park United Reformed Church, Bristol (Registered Charity No.1131460) - l St George’s, Bristol (Registered Charity No. 295178) - l St James Priory (Registered Charity No. 1104408) 4 ## **Support of other local musical charities/groups/individuals** During the year ending 31 July 2023 Exultate Singers collaborated with the following musical groups: - l St George’s Bristol: (Registered Charity No: 295178) Exultate Singers provides work for professional musicians by giving work to composers and soloists. For example: - l Gary Ryan _guitar_ - l Craig Ogden _guitar_ - l Hywel Davies _composer_ l Richard Johnson _accompanist_ Exultate Singers is grateful for the support offered by the Friends of the choir, both financial and in-kind. ## **Reserves Policy** Exultate Singers maintains general reserves of at least £4,000 to support the choir’s ongoing activities and provide a contingency fund in case of poor ticket sales or unexpected costs. This reserves policy was reviewed prior to the AGM held on 4 June 2014, and subsequently increased to the aforesaid amount. The Treasurer continues to keep this under review. ## **Transactions with the Trustees** During the year, no expenses were incurred by any of the trustees. 5 ## **Review of Risk** The trustees have reviewed the risks to Exultate Singers and are satisfied that, by exercising constant vigilance by means of close scrutiny of the accounts appertaining to each concert, take steps to minimise them. I declare, in my capacity of charity trustee, that the trustees have approved the report above; and have authorised me to sign it on their behalf. Susan Green Chairman Date: 31 May 2024 6 EXULTATE SINGERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023 CHARITY NUMBER 1101751 INDEPENDENT EXAMINEFYS REPORT ON ThE ACCOUNTS Respgctlve responslbilltles of trustees and examiner The charity's Iru51ees are responsible for th8 proparatK)n of the account5. The chart￿S In15tees consider Ihal an audit is not required for this year under sectDn 144 of the Charities Acl 2011 Ilhe Charities Act) and Ih818n independent examniation 1$ needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under seclK)n 145 of the Act- follow the procedures laid down in the Generdl Directions given by the Charity Commlssloners lund8r Section 14515llbl of the Act),. and slal8 wh81her partI￿lar mallers have Com to my att6ntDn. Bas18 of Independent examlnerfs 8tstement My 8xaminalion was carri8d out in acwrdanc8 vthh General Dir9c*fv?ns given by the Charity Commission6r5. An examination includes a review of the accounting r8o)rds kept by the charily and a comparison of the accounts presenlèd %Mth thos6 records. 11 aL80 includes ￿nSideratIon of any unusual Items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Irust8es concerning any such mallers. The procedur8$ und8rtak8n do not provide all the evidence that woukl be f8quired in an audit, and consequently no opIn￿n is given as to whether the accounts present a 'lrue and fairf wew and the Ind&p8nd•nt •xamln8rfs Statemont In connection with my examinalh)n, no matter has coTh to my attention 111 whlch gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any malerial respect, the r8qulremenls'. to keep accounting records in accordance wi(h sectK*n 130 of the Charities Act.. to pr8pare accounts ￿lch accA)rd wlh Ihe a￿OuntIng records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities A¢1 have not been tThl' or 121 to which, in my Opin￿￿, attention shoukf be drawn in offler to enable a popèr und8r5tanding of the accounts lo be r8achad. Rlchard 8acon FCA Date: 31 May 2024 8 Easffield Bristol BS9 4BQ ## **EXULTATE SINGERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023** ## **RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** |**RECEIPTS**
Donations, legacies & other similar receipts
Operating activities to further charity's objects
Investment income receipts
TOTAL RECEIPTS
**PAYMENTS**
Charitable activities
Support costs
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**NET OF RECEIPTS**
**CASH FUNDS**
Cash funds b/f
Cash funds c/f|**2023**
**£**
16,434
34,002
160
50,596
40,748
6,609
47,357
3,239
10,815
14,054|**2022**
**£**
15,584
30,681
10| |---|---|---| |||46,275| |||47,061
6,901| |||53,962| |||| |||-7,687| |||18,502| |||10,815| All the receipts and payments relate to unrestricted funds as the charity has no restricted or designated funds. 8 ## **EXULTATE SINGERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES** |**ASSETS**
Cash funds
Other monetary assets
Assets retained for charity's own use
TOTAL ASSETS
**LIABILITIES**
Sundry creditors
Deposits held
TOTAL LIABILITIES
**NET ASSETS/(LIABILITIES)**|**2023**
**£**
14,054
-
3,254
17,308
1,450
250
1,700
15,608|**2022**
**£**
10,815
3,800
2,667| |---|---|---| |||17,282| |||1,887
240| |||2,127| |||| |||15,155| All the assets and liabilities relate to unrestricted funds as the charity has no restricted or designated funds. **Ian Carpenter Treasurer** **Date: 31 May 2024** 9