**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **+**
# **Trustees Annual Report for the period 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023**
## **Section A - Reference & Administration Details**
**Charity name:** The Mayfield Festival Choir Society **Other names charity is known by:** MFCS **Registered charity number:** 1109434 **Charity’s principal address:** 1 Ward Close Wadhurst
East Sussex TN5 6HU
## **Names of trustees who manage the charity:**
|**Trustee Name**|**Office**|**Dates Acted**|
|---|---|---|
|Jane Bolger|Chair|All year|
|Vacant|Vice Chair|-|
|David Hollands|Treasurer|All year|
|Wil Crittenden|Membership Registrar|All year|
|Simon Tayler|Concert Manager|All year|
|Tony Trevillion|Website & online ticket sales support|All year|
|Sandie McAndrew|Member without portfolio|From September 2022|
## **Names and addresses of advisors:**
|**Advisor**|**Name**|**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|**Bank**|Lloyds TSB|Cliffe Lewes (309501) Branch, 8 High Street,
Lewes, East Sussex BN27 2AD|
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **Section B - Structure, Governance & Management**
> **Type of governing document:** Constitution adopted 25 November 2004
> **How the charity is constituted:** Association consisting of over 80 members **Trustee selection methods:**
Trustees are appointed or re-appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in February/March
## **Section C - Objectives & Activities**
**Objects of the charity:** To educate the public in the art and science of music and to further the development of public appreciation and taste in music and to or for such other charitable purposes as the Committee may from time to time require
**Main activities of the charity:** Presentation of concerts and participation in music festivals.
## **Section D - Achievements & Performance**
MFCS staged three concerts in 2022. On 27 March we performed Bach’s St John Passion under the direction of Jeremy Summerly and with the Mayfield Baroque Orchestra and young soloists from
the Royal College of Music. On 24 April, we opened the two week-long 2022 Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts with the world premier of O’Neill’s Cantata of St Dunstan, commissioned to Celebrate the Festival’s 50[th] Anniversary. We were directed by Jeremy Summerly and joined by the Chelsea Camerata and Royal Academy of Music graduate Angus McPhee. On 20 November we performed a programme by contemporary composers with Rutter’s Magnificat and Stopford’s Missa Deus Nobiscum, again directed by Jeremy Summerly with the London Primavera Orchestra and soloist Eloise Irving.
Wherever possible we choose to work with young professional orchestras and soloists from the London Conservatoires, giving them additional performing experience as they establish their careers. Mayfield Baroque is an instrumental collective of young professional players of period instruments, all of whom are based in and around London and Oxford. The group was formed in 2016 specifically to work with Mayfield Festival Choir and the choir of St Peter’s Oxford. Chelsea Camerata is a similar orchestra, often working with the choir of St Luke’s Chelsea.
With regard to our objectives of educating the public and developing appreciation of music we have sought to continue to develop both choir membership and audience size.
Despite impact of COVID, choir membership remains strong, with both the soprano and alto sections almost at full capacity. Potential singers are invited to attend two rehearsals before taking an informal voice assessment and joining. Through collaboration with Friends of Music in Mayfield, we have arranged for two free singing lessons to be available for those who want further guidance with their voice. To encourage young singers, no subscription is required for those under the age of 25.
Contd:
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
We have continued to develop our use of social media (particularly FaceBook and Instagram) to enhance our publicity campaigns, although audience numbers were still slightly lower than prepandemic levels. Online ticket sales now account for almost all sales to the public but we do still provide a local box office for those who prefer to select and buy tickets in person. For the choir’s stand alone concerts, the popular centre aisle tickets are priced at £25 and £20, but all the side and rear aisle tickets are £10. All tickets are half price for those under 18.
Jane Bolger - Chair
## **Section E - Financial Review**
**Charity’s policy on reserves:** Surplus cash for the day to day running of the choir is held in the bank as unrestricted funds and placed on deposit whenever possible to earn gross interest. These funds are primarily held to meet any unforeseen expenditure and to cover any shortfall on concert ticket sales. A donation of £20,000 made in 2019 plus associated Gift Aid of £5,000 is held in a separate account as restricted funds for “special” projects in accordance with the donor’s wishes. See note 7 on Notes to the Accounts. **Any funds materially in deficit:** Not applicable. **Principal source of funds:** Concert ticket sales, subscriptions from members, Patrons, Gift Aid, Josephine Baker Trust
## **Section F - Other Optional Information**
None.
## **Section G - Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
## **Signature(s):**
**Full name(s):** Jane Bolger **Position:** Chair **Date:**
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
# **Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts**
## **Section A - Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/members of:** The Mayfield Festival Choir Society
**On accounts for the year ended:** 31 December 2023
**Registered charity number:** 1109434
**Set out on pages:** 6, 7, and 8
**Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner:**
The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (“the Act”)) and that an independent examination is required.
It is my responsibility to
- examine the accounts (under Section 43 of the Act,
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directives given by the Charity Commission (under Section 43(7)9b) of the Act), and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
**Basis of independent 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 the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
contd.
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **Independent examiner’s statement:**
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention
- 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that
- proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with Section 41 of the Act),
- accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act;
- 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## **Signature:**
## **Date:**
> **Name:** John Buddle
> **Relevant professional qualification:** Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers
## **Address:**
Walnut Tree House, High Street Mayfield East Sussex TN20 6AB
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
**Charity name:** The Mayfield Festival Choir Society
## **Registered charity number:**
## 1109434
## **For the period:** 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
## **Income & Expenditure**
|**INCOME**
Notes|**INCOME**
Notes|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Ticket sales|4|12258|--|--|12258|8550|
|Programme adverts & sales||1203|--|--|1203|1265|
|
Josephine Baker Trust||990|--|--|990|600|
|Sale/hire of choir music||352|--|--|352|414|
|Subscriptions–members|3|8560|--|--|8560|8090|
|Subscriptions–patrons|3|2610|--|--|2610|4745|
|Donations received||58|--|--|58|100|
|Gift Aid||2321|--|--|2321|2415|
|Social events||1720|1140|--|2860|295|
|Bank interest||215|--|--|215|13|
|**_Total income:_**||**30287**|**1140**|0|**31427**|**26487**|
|**EXPENDITURE**|||||||
|Professional fees|5|8568|-|-|8568|9891|
|Publicity & advertising incl. www||1396|-|-|1396|1368|
|
Programmes & covers||1249|-|-|1249|1068|
|
Use of church facilities & Red X||2302|-|-|2302|2806|
|Purchase/hire of music||322|-|-|322|583|
|Equipment-staging||270|-|-|270|462|
|
Making Music sub’s & Insurance||678|-|-|678|390|
|
Social events||190|-|-|190|236|
|Committee expenses||0|-|-|0|0|
|Donations||0|-|-|0|0|
|Orchestra||11552|-|-|11552|12300|
|Soloists||2380|-|-|2380|3148|
|Southwark Cathedral concert||0|10232|-|10232|0|
||||||||
|**_Total expenditure:_**||**28907**|**10232**|**0**|**39139**|**32252**|
|**_Net surplus(deficit) for the year_**|||||||
|||**1380**|**(9092)**|**0**|**(7712)**|**(5765)**|
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **Balance Sheet (as at 31 December 2023)**
|**CURRENT ASSETS**
Notes|**CURRENT ASSETS**
Notes|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|Unrestricted
Funds
2023 £
Restricted
Funds
2023 £
Endowment
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2023 £
Total
Funds
2022 £|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Current accounts||980|15908|0|16888|26120|
|Savings accounts||22737|0|0|22737|21217|
|
Sundry assets and (liabilities)|6|0|0|0|0|0|
|**_Sub-total:_**||**23717**|**15908**|0|**39625**|**47337**|
|**CURRENT FUNDS**|**CURRENT FUNDS**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Balance as at 31.12.22||22337|25000|0|47337|53102|
|Surplus/(Deficit) for the year||1380|(9092)|0|(7712)|(5765)|
|**Balance as at 31.12.23**||**23717**|15908|0|**39625**|**47337**|
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|Signature
Name
Date of
Approval|Signature
Name
Date of
Approval|Signature
Name
Date of
Approval|Signature
Name
Date of
Approval|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||||||
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**The Mayfield Festival Choir Society Registered Charity No. 1109434**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
- **1)** These Accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance **Accounting Policies**
with applicable accounting standards and the Charity Commissioners’ Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).
## **2) Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses**
No elected or co-opted Committee member receives any income. Reimbursement for actual expenses incurred is made to Committee members.
## **3) Subscriptions and Membership**
There were 84 singing members during 2023 paying a subscription of £105 each. Non-singing membership consisted of 12 gold patrons and 11 silver patrons.
|**4)**
**Concert Ticket Sales**
May concert*
November concert|**2022**
**£**
3718
4833
8551|**2023**
**£**
6399
5860|
|---|---|---|
|||12259|
*The Mayfield Festival occurs every two years.
## **5) Professional Fees**
The Society does not employ any individual on a contract of employment. Payments are made to the musical director and rehearsal accompanist in respect of their services and to professional musicians in respect of performances at concerts.
|Musical director and rehearsal accompanist
Orchestra
Soloists gross|**2022**
**£**
9891
12300
3148
25339|**2023**
**£**
8335
11552
2380|
|---|---|---|
|||22267|
|**(6)Sundry Assets & Liabilities**|**2022**
**£**
0
0|**2023**
**£**
0|
|---|---|---|
|||0|
## **D**
## **onations**
In 2019 the choir received a very generous donation of £20,000. The donor does not wish
the gift to be used for the day-to-day costs of running the choir. Suggested projects include workshops, commissioning of new music, a recording project, supporting visits/outings etc. The funds are held in a separate, restricted account.
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