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2022-06-30-accounts

Bradford Festival Choral Society A classical choir with community spirit – since 1856

Annual Report July 2021 to June 2022

Registered charity: 1141596 Registered company in England: 7346050

Registered office: 78 Sapgate Lane, Thornton Bradford BD13 3DY www.bradfordfestivalchoralsociety.org.uk Twitter:@BFCS1856 Facebook:Bradford Festival Choral Society

1

Rob Voakes, Chair's Report

After 18 months of the choir managing to rehearse and perform despite all the disruption of the pandemic our guarded hope at the start of the 2021/22 season was a return to something approaching normality.

Membership of c100 was down about 20% on pre-pandemic totals but we were confident that we had sufficient numbers and quality to tackle an ambitious programme, including Bach's St.Mathew Passion in March 2022.

We began in September with our final digital recording, this time two songs recorded with members of the Bradford Friendship Choir, for refugees, asylum seekers and friends. We have been in a supportive relationship with BFC since 2015 and sung with them previously, but this was a more ambitious project. It involved splicing together individual recordings from some sixty members of both choirs, and creating unique digital performances.

The project, funded by the Arts Council, was worthwhile in itself, but in addition it achieved the Making Music Group Hero award for 2021.

Our first concert of the season in November 2021 was a selection of pieces the choir had rehearsed on ZOOM during the pandemic, and live, during September and October. It was a real boost to be performing in public and we achieved a respectable audience of around 200.

In late November and December, despite the success of the vaccine programme, Covid cases rapidly increased, depleting both the choir and the audience for our Christmas concert.

At the start of January we reviewed plans to perform St.Mathew Passion but decided we had to demonstrate we were fully back in business as a major choral society. We rehearsed steadily in January, February and March, and the number of members attending gradually increased. The concert on 19th March proved to be a resounding success. The performance was musically impressive and, we achieved an audience of over 300, our best for many years prior to Covid.

The performance was opened by the choir singing the Ukrainian national anthem and included a bucket collection for Ukrainian refugees. Our final concert of the season was performed at the Ukrainian Centre in Bradford. The choir again sang the Ukrainian national anthem, this time led by an aspiring music director, a refugee from Ukraine.

Reviewing 2021/22, on behalf of the choir, I would like to express appreciation to our Music Director, Tom Leech and accompanist and Assistant Music Director, Chris Pulleyn, for their skill and determination in getting the very best from the choir.

On a personal note, after nearly four years, I am stepping down from the position of Chair of the trustees of BFCS. BFCS has played an important part in Bradford's cultural history for over 160 years and continues to prove itself relevant and worthwhile today I feel honoured to have been Chair, and offer my successor my very best wishes.

2

Tom Leech, Musical Director's Report

At the end of last season’s report, I wrote about our first three rehearsals in person - held in a marquee at Bingley Rugby Club. The online efforts and those tentative first rehearsals in person meant that we entered the 2021-22 season with remarkable levels of enthusiasm, viable membership for our programming and our excellent team of volunteers and trustees well-placed to hit the ground running.

Our November programme combined some of the music performed in our online rehearsals with other familiar and new music, continuing our commitment to programming music by composers outside of the ‘stale, pale and male’ canon. With music by Esenvalds, Stephen Paulus and Eric Whitacre’s spectacular Cloudburst, the male portion of the programme was anything but stale, and the choir excelled in the expressive range of these pieces, bringing a similar commitment and willingness to try new styles in Reena Esmail’s TaReKiTa. Lili Boulanger’s Hymne au Soleil has featured in several previous programmes, and I think this was our best performance of this dramatic work yet. Excellent piano, flute and percussion accompaniment added variety and it was a really enjoyable and high quality return to performing - the only disappointment being the small audience, understandable given the continued concern about Covid.

Christmas felt like the return of some kind of musical normality - the choir did an amazing job given our illness-hit numbers, performing with the smallest number of singers at a main concert in my time with the choir. Audience and band alike commented on how good the choir sounded, and the programme combined old favourites with new repertoire, including Tamsin Jones’ Noel Verbum.

Lockdown had prevented us from performing Bach’s St Matthew Passion, and we returned to this in January with at least some residual memory of our previous rehearsals. This allowed some real musical and vocal development to take place, and despite the difficulty and quantity of the music, the choir gave an excellent and dramatic performance. It was a delight to be joined by Baroque in the North, on period instruments, Bradford Catholic Youth Choir singing the ripieno choir part, and a team of outstanding soloists, including the excellent Joseph Doody as the evangelist.

Our summer concert featured more Baroque music - Bach’s charming cantata 196 ‘Der Herr denket an uns’, Barbara Strozzi’s madrigal ‘Silentio nocivo’ and a concert performance of Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’. We performed in Bradford’s Ukrainian Centre, and the concert began with an appropriate and moving rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem, conducted by a refugee musician from Odessa, Viktoriia Prysiazhna. Although the acoustics and staging arrangements were not particularly favourable, the performance was very good - aided by an excellent team of young soloists, and a Baroque string group, with Chris playing continuo.

In the coming season we must focus on building up membership to our pre-pandemic levels (tenors and basses in particular) and increasing audience numbers in order to make our programming ambitions feasible (and responsible) financially and musically. Many choirs are now in great difficulty following the challenges of the pandemic, and I feel we have a real responsibility to contribute to the recovery of this wonderful tradition of amateur and community music making.

A huge thank you to our volunteers, trustees, and of course to Chris for his superb musical support. Above all thank you to our members for their commitment to BFCS.

3

Karen Jones, Bradford Friendship Choir Report

Affiliated to Bradford Festival Choral Society, Bradford Friendship Choir is a joyful singing sanctuary which focuses on welcoming and supporting refugees and people seeking asylum. We celebrate our diversity through the power of song.

Woohoo! We are back! Our challenge this year has been to re-engage membership and reach out to new singers and audiences. The Arts Council funding has helped us to do this. The collaboration with BFCS was a joy and we are delighted that the creative team from both choirs won the Making Music Group Heroes Award 2022. We also loved working with community artist Thabo Mkwananzi, singing in Peel Park for Refugee Week and recently taking part in the national Cities of Sanctuary conference.

----- Start of picture text -----
-
Facts about the Choir
and its link with
-
BFCS.
- Thank you all
for your support!
Blended online and in person sessions run
6pm on Tuesdays – details on website
www.bradfordfriendshipchoir.com.
All welcome on Zoom or at the Kala
Sangam Arts Centre in Bradford!
----- End of picture text -----

Challenges and future plans

4

Sue Bennett, Chorus Secretary Report

In the 2019 – 20 season before we went into lockdown we had 119 members. For the 20202021 year our numbers had dropped to 88 - because of Covid and we finished that year with 3 rehearsals in the outdoor marquee at Bradford and Bingley rugby club.

Thankfully by September 2021 choir returned to indoor rehearsals, but at Bradford Grammar School where the larger space enabled us to be socially distanced. Members returned gradually and we had 108 in total – but not all at the same time! 43 Sops, 41 Altos, 7 Tenors and 17 Basses including 17 new members. Some paid their subs but didn’t feel comfortable to come back to rehearsals, new members joined and circumstances meant some left.

Not all members attended in person initially and streaming rehearsals on Zoom proved incredibly helpful – over 20 singers used Zoom – some for every week and others just occasionally if feeling unwell or suffering from Covid. .Rehearsals still had some restrictions and the use of masks, social distancing and eventually Lateral Flow tests did help contain the spread of the virus. Gradually the situation improved and more members were attending in person but at the November concert we still had only 63 singers. It was so uplifting being able to sing in a live concert again and the reduced numbers did mean we could have more space for the choir and audience.

By Christmas a new variant caused Covid numbers to increase again and though we still had fewer singers than normal in the concert it was enjoyed by the audience and all who took part.

In January we resumed St Matthew Passion rehearsals and this is when most of our new members (and some returning members) joined us to sing this fantastic music. There were still uncertainties but the concert in March was a real triumph with a choir of 92 (out of 94 singing members) plus a few guest singers all enjoying it immensely.

Inevitably some members have left - and with fewer members it has a financial and musical impact on the ability of the choir to take on larger choral works so it’s really important to keep recruiting more members. Most of these come from either searching the website/ YouTube etc. or from personal recommendation so please encourage your friends, family and work colleagues to come along to a rehearsal and continue to circulate leaflets and publicise our concerts.

Many thanks to Rosy who organises the voice checks. Obviously there were no voice checks last year but voice checks for the new members went ahead and those for existing members will resume again later.

Covid regulations and changes of venue have produced their own challenges. We used St. Bede’s for the Spring term and then returned to St. Peters for the summer term - so a big thanks to all those who help with rehearsals - to Rosy Lambert, Hilary Luckham, Anne Huntley and Elizabeth Emmett, and to the Trustees and everyone who has helped in a variety of ways to try to keep us all safe.

We also remember Cynthia Thresh, Peter Kelly and Joyce Poot who were all valued members of the choir and died recently.

2021-2022 proved to be another challenging year! Thanks to Sara and James for streaming the rehearsals and a huge thanks to Tom and Chris for all your amazing work and the brilliant job you do. Finally: Thank you Rob for being an excellent Chairman and guiding us throughout the year. We couldn’t have done it without you!

5

Mark Clayton, Treasurer’s Report

Financial Review

The Choir members are all unpaid volunteers and derive no financial benefit from membership. Choir members pay a subscription set at the Annual General Meeting.

The Choir's income for the year was £54,501, of which £34,639 was generated to support the Bradford Festival Choral Society choir and £19,862 was generated to support Bradford Friendship Choir. The Choir’s expenditure was £57,304, of which £43,107 was used to support the Bradford Festival Choral Society choir and £14,197 was used to support Bradford Friendship Choir. The Choir generated a deficit of -£2,803 which included a deficit of -£8,469 for the Bradford Festival Choral Society choir and a £5,666 surplus for the Bradford Friendship Choir.

Income from concerts performed over the year was £11,581. Concert costs were £23,592. Concert sponsorship was £3,000 which meant that concerts generated a deficit of -£9,011. Non concert income was £39,920 and non concert expenditure was £33,712 which generated a net surplus of £6,208, of which £542 was generated to support the Bradford Festival Choral Society choir and £5,666 was generated to support the Bradford Friendship Choir.

The Choir’s funds available at the end of the year were £40,224, of which £12,042 was restricted to support Bradford Friendship Choir. The total funds available to Bradford Festival Choral Society excluding Bradford Friendship Choir funds at the end of the year were £28,182.

Details are in the Statement of financial affairs, balance sheet, income and expenditure accounts below.

The accounts have been independently examined by Malcolm V Walker of Walker Broadbent Associates and carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. Details are in the Independent Examiners Statement below.

6

Bradford Festival Choral Society

(Company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital)

Legal and administrative information

Year ended 30 June 2022

Company Number 07346050
Charity Number 1141596
Trustees Rob Voakes, Chair
Sue Hayton Company Secretary
Mark Clayton Treasurer
Joan Letocha
John Disken
Karen Jones
Liz Kingsley
Lucy Hennessy
Elizabeth Holmes
Sara Daniel
Sue Bennett
Colin Penfold
Zoeann Callan
Registered Office 78 Sapgate Lane
Thornton
Bradford
England
BD13 3DY
Bankers Barclays Bank plc
Bradford
West Yorkshire
Independent Examiner Malcolm Walker
Walker Broadbent Associates Ltd
Lencett House
45 Boroughgate
Otley
West Yorkshire
LS21 1 AG

7

BRADFORD FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY

YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2022

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

This report on the accounts of the society for the year ended 30 June 2022 is in respect of an examination carried out under s.145 of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER

The trustees are responsible for the preparation of accounts. The trutees consider that an audit is not required for this period under s. 144(2) of the Act, and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

(1) examine the accounts (under s.145(5)(b) of the Act);

(2) follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission

(3) to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under s. 145 of the Act. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the committee and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the committee 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

(1) In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

- to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the Act; and

- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and which comply with the regulations have not been met.

(2) In order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached I draw your attention to the paragraph at the foot of note 6.

Malcolm V Walker B Mus, FCA, CTA Walker Broadbent Associates Chartered Accountants Lencett House 45 Boroughgate Otley LS21 1AG 10 October 2022

8

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account)

for the year ended 30 June 2022

Note
Incoming resources
Voluntary income:
10
Subscriptions
Donations
Activities for generating funds:
10
Fundraising activities
Music hire
Investment income
Incoming resources from charitable activities:
3
Concerts & performance income
Grants
Sponsorship
Total incoming resources
Resources expended
Costs of generating funds:
Fundrasing activities
Charitable activities:
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds
2021
Funds
Funds
£
£
£
£
14,733
-
14,733
13,350
4,523
3,713
8,237
7,924
428
-
428
-
360
-
360
-
13
-
13
3
11,581
-
11,581
-
-
16,149
16,149
1,000
3,000
-
3,000
3,000
34,639
19,862
54,501
25,277
-
-
-
-
Concerts & performance expenses
4
Rehearsal & other costs
4
23,592 )
(
-
23,592 )
(
(12,150)
19,125 )
(
14,197 )
(
33,322 )
(
(20,406)
Governance costs
Independent Examiner's fees
11
Total resources expended
Net incoming (outgoing) resources
Transfers between funds
Total funds brought forward
8
Total funds carried forward
390 )
(
-
390 )
(
(360)
43,107 )
(
14,197 )
(
57,304 )
(
32,916 )
(
8,469 )
(
5,666
2,803 )
(
(7,640)
-
-
-
35,392
7,635
43,027
50,667
26,923
13,301
40,224
43,027

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the period. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities

9

Mark Clayton - Treasurer

Company Number: 07346050

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Balance Sheet

as at 30 June 2022

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
5
Current assets
Stocks
Debtors
6
Cash and bank balances
Creditors:amounts falling due in
less than one year
7
Net current assets
Net assets
Reserves
Unrestricted funds
8
Restricted funds
8
8
2022
£
£
£
£
-
-
71
71
10,370
7,470
35,768
40,411
46,209
47,952
5,985 )
(
(4,925)
40,224
43,027
40,224
43,027
26,923
35,392
13,301
7,635
40,224
43,027
2021

For the year ended 30[th] June 2022 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 480 of the Companies Act 2006.

No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the period in question in accordance with section 476..

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting periods and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provision applicable to companies subject to small companies' régime and were approved by the board on 19 October 2022.

............................................. Rob Voakes, Chair

10

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Notes to the Accounts and Reports

Year ended 30 June 2022

1 Accounting policies

(a)Basis of accounting

The accounts are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2007) and follow the recommendations in Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 2005.

(b)Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight line basis on tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off each asset over its expected useful life at the following annual rates:

Equipment 10%

(c)Grant income

General purpose grants are credited to the income and expenditure account in the period received. Ear-marked grant income is matched to the associated expenditure and recognised in the accounts in the period when the performance expenses are incurred.

(d)Leasing

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to income and expenditure account as incurred.

**2 ** Net incoming resources 2022 2021
£ £
Is stated after charging:
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets owned by the company - 5

11

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Notes to the Accounts and Reports (continued)

Year ended 30 June 2022

3 Incoming resources - charitable activities

Unrestricted
£
Grants & sponsorship
D Holdsworth
3,000
The Emerald Foundation
-
Income from concerts and performances:
Gross income from admission charges,
programme and refreshment sales
11,581
14,581
Designated
£
-
-
-
Total
Unrestricted
Designated
Total
£
£
£
£
3,000
3,000
-
3,000
-
-
-
-
11,581
-
-
-
14,581
3,000
-
3,000
2021

4 Analysis of expenditure on charitable expenses

Musical director's & accompanists' fees
Conductor, musicians & soloists fees
Production expenses
Venue & facilities hire
Box office and front of house
Promotion & marketing
Depreciation
Other costs
Donations
Friendship Choir
Concerts and
performances
£
-
Rehearsal &
other costs
£
(9,512)
-
(700)
(4,899)
-
(506)
-
(2,370)
(1,138)
(14,197)
(33,322)
2021
Total
Concerts and Rehearsal &
Total
performances
other costs
£
£
£
£
(9,512)
-
(9,543)
(9,543)
(16,411)
(8,095)
-
(8,095)
(3,759)
(4,030)
-
(4,030)
(7,796)
-
(150)
(150)
(735)
-
-
-
(858)
(25)
(198)
(223)
-
-
(5)
(5)
(2,509)
-
(1,176)
(1,176)
(1,138)
-
(1,406)
(1,406)
(14,197)
-
(7,929)
(7,929)
(56,914)
(12,150)
(20,406)
(32,556)
(16,411)
(3,059)
(2,897)
(735)
(352)
-
(139)
-
-
(23,592)

12

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Notes to the Accounts and Reports (continued)

Year ended 30 June 2022

**5 ** Tangible Fixed assets Office Equipment &
musical instruments Total
Cost: £ £
At start of period 655 655
Additions - -
- -
Disposals - -
At end of period 655 655
Depreciation:
At start of period 655 655
Charge for the year - -
Eliminated on disposal - -
At end of period 655 655
Net book value
At end of period - -
At start of period - -
6 Debtors & prepayments
Accrued income
Prepayments
2022
2021
£
£
9,900
7,000
470
470
10,370
7,470

Prepayments include a concert deposit of £470 paid to Leeds Town Hall in 2010 for a future concert, the recoverability of which is doubtful.

13

Bradford Festival Choral Society

Notes to the Accounts and Reports (continued)

Year ended 30 June 2022

7
Creditors:amounts falling due within
Trade creditors & accruals
Deferred income
8
Movement in funds
Restricted funds:
Transfers on incorporation:
Bullock Fund
Music Fund
Scholarship Fund
Friendship Choir
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:
General funds
Designated funds:
Sponsorship
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
one year
At start
of year
£
209
1,000
50
6,376
7,635
35,392
-
35,392
43,027
2022
2021
£
£
(5,985)
(4,925)
-
-
(5,985)
(4,925)
Movement in funds
At end of
Incoming
Outgoing Transfer
year
resources
resources
£
£
£
£
-
-
-
209
-
-
-
1,000
-
-
-
50
19,862
(14,197)
12,042
19,862
(14,197)
-
13,301
31,639
(43,107)
3,000
26,923
3,000
-
(3,000)
-
34,639
(43,107)
-
26,923
54,501
(57,304)
-
40,224

9 Guarantee

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.

14

Bradford Festival Choral Society Detailed income & expenditure account Year ended 30 June 2022

10 Income
Members' subscriptions
Gift aid tax relief
200 Club donation
Friendship Choir Donations
Friendship Choir Gift Aid
General Donation
Friendship Choir Grants
Interest received
Self-help & fund-raising
Come & sing - fees & Income
Music hire/sales
Gift aid Adjustment
Friendship Choir Gift Aid Adjustment
Concerts surplus/(deficit), per schedule
11 Expenses
Rehearsals/General
MD auditions fees
Choir MD
Accompanists fees
Voice coaching
Virtual Rehearsal Costs
Come & Sing
Friendship Choir Support
Room hire
Folders Purchase
Subscriptions
Printing,postage & stationery
Advertising/Promotion
Independent examiner's fee
Other Charges
Musical Equipment
Depreciation
Website & Domain names etc
Choir Development
Donations
Net surplus/(deficit) for the season
£ £
£
£
12,433
9,773
2,300
2,657
100
-
3,113
5,151
600
900
4,423
907
16,149
1,000
13
3
210
-
218
-
360
-
-
920
-
967
39,920
22,277
9,011 )
(
9,150 )
(
80 )
(
-
5,825 )
(
6,008 )
(
3,607 )
(
3,465 )
(
-
70 )
(
174 )
(
294 )
(
700 )
(
-
14,197 )
(
7,929 )
(
4,899 )
(
150 )
(
264 )
(
-
502 )
(
497 )
(
105 )
(
-
310 )
(
-
390 )
(
360 )
(
100 )
(
135 )
(
950 )
(
-
-
5 )
(
91 )
(
198 )
(
380 )
(
250 )
(
1,138)
(
1,406)
(
33,712)
(
20,766)
(
2,803)
(
7,640)
(
2022
2021
-

15

Bradford Festival Choral Society Concerts account

Year ended 30 June 2022

2021-22 Season Season
Faith
Cloudburst Xmas Bach SMP Passion
Total
£ £ £ £ £
**12 ** Income
Ticket sales 1,785 2,283 4,731 1,494 10,293
Programme/Other sales 172 196 296 112 776
Sale of refreshments - 111 344 58 513
Gross income 1,957 2,590 5,371 1,663 11,581
**13 ** Concert costs
Soloists ( 200 )
- ( 2,013 )
( 950 )
( 3,163 )
Organist/accompanist ( 200 )
( 200 )
( 265 )
( 300 )
( 965 )
Ensemble/Musicians ( 682 )
( 1,400 )
( 4,906 )
( 1,070 )
( 8,058 )
Chorus Singers ( 600 )
( 300 )
( 450 )
( 75 )
( 1,425 )
Conductor ( 675 )
( 675 )
( 725 )
( 725 )
( 2,800 )
Instrument hire and tuning - - ( 450 )
- ( 450 )
Soloists Gifts - - - ( 50 )
( 50 )
Venue Hire ( 828 )
( 828 )
( 892 )
( 350 )
( 2,897 )
Music hire etc ( 627 )
( 168 )
( 404 )
( 130 )
( 1,329 )
Ticket Print Costs ( 48 )
( 43 )
( 44 )
( 40 )
( 175 )
Publicity Costs - ( 50 )
( 192 )
( 110 )
( 352 )
Programmes ( 345 )
( 200 )
( 250 )
( 223 )
( 1,018 )
Refreshment Costs - ( 508 )
( 227 )
- ( 735 )
Hospitality ( 37 )
- - - ( 37 )
Other Expenses ( 45) ( 64) ( 30) - ( 139)
Total costs ( 4,287) ( 4,435) ( 10,848) ( 4,022) ( 23,592)
Surplus/(deficit) before sponsors ( 2,330 )
( 1,845 )
( 5,478 )
( 2,358 )
( 12,011 )
Sponsorship:
Donald Holdsworth - - 3,000 - 3,000
-
Net (deficit) surplus ( 2,330 )
( 1,845 )
( 2,478 )
( 2,358 )
( 9,011 )

16