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View this email in your browser GOSPELLICHFIELD CHOIR Lichfieldj j Gospel Choirj GOSPEL CHOIRLICHFIELD way AnnualReport wy ——— 2024-20 2 5 —— - Gerbo Huisman On Reflection I am delighted to write the introduction to our Annual Report, which reflects and celebrates another very successful year. Inevitably “Wigmore Hall” will get a mention elsewhere in this report. And yes, standing on the stage previously occupied by the likes of Arthur Rubenstein, Benjamin Britten and Ivor Novello (to name a few) joined as we were by the Imbube Singers was special, as was looking out over a sold-out Wigmore Hall and note even some dancing in the aisles (some strategically placed LGC members might have helped). To me though nothing beats the feeling of joy and pride singing at our home venue, for our home audience, which I would choose anytime above any other stage, even in London. This feeling is closely matched by the delight of attending our weekly rehearsals, with the opportunity to socialise before and after (and a bit in between), polishing up old material (with occasionally some Gabriella refinement added) and learning new material (and wasn’t it great having time for this?). In the prime, central position of the Basses the sounds experienced can be spine- tinglingly (is that a word?) beautiful. Observers have reported that during rehearsals we move even more freely, are more expressive, more ourselves. I always find it quite intriguing to observe how new members in their first weeks are a little taken aback by the amount of movement and our willingness to throw ourselves into any shape or position asked for by our MDs, but also how their initial very hesitant efforts to join in soon enough become fully fledged LGC movement patterns and facial expressions. I think what I am really trying to say is; I love the rehearsals, which tend to be amongst the highlights of my week, distract me from daily stresses and worries and I’d be pretty happy if that’s all I do within the choir. With all this activity, rehearsals and performances, enjoyable social events, a (pro-) active, highly skilled and always dedicated Committee (their contributions richly reflected in this AR) and being blessed with our two wonderful Musical Directors (you’d consider yourself lucky with one of them!) the Choir is in good health. Above all, we have our lovely and always enthusiastic members who turn up week after week, look out for each other, share their talents, do as they are told (I mean taught) and always manage to create that special atmosphere, that expressive movement and most of all that unmistakable beautiful LGC sound.
I am very proud to be part of this Choir and delighted to serve it as its Chair.
Keeping In Touch - Kate Slater Our main channels of choir communication are the website, Instagram and Facebook, and as always I’m very grateful for ay , ° e your continued engagement with everything there. I’ve recently updated the home page of the website to focus on our concert with the Imbube Singers and direct visitors to buy tickets. This is the first time we’ve used an external platform, Ticket Tailor, to sell tickets, which seems to be working well and should keep things running smoothly on the night! I’ve been focussing more on direct email too, and we now have over 440 people subscribed to our mailing list (we use Mailchimp) and are planning to send a few more emails before the concert. Of course we also have the flyers and posters which I know have been enthusiastically distributed! Our new members have hopefully already discovered the resources in the Members’ Area of the website. The diary is usually as up-to-date as it can be (we rarely plan very far ahead!) and the Members’ Gallery is handy if you’re trying to remember new names (I’m a bit behind with this at the moment as there’s been so much concert admin to do, but perhaps by the time you’re reading this I’ll have sorted it!). It’s also worth highlighting that the learning tracks are a relatively recent addition, mostly dating from around the pandemic; although there are now about 20, the library certainly doesn’t contain our full repertoire. Zoom rehearsals began for the same reason; a lifeline when we were all stuck at home, they continued to support those who weren’t yet ready to return in-person. It wasn’t long til everyone became so used to being able to join on Zoom or catch up on YouTube that we decided to keep it going, but, as I’m sure you’re all aware, it’s not without its hiccups! Sound quality is never going to be perfect, although I understand it’s usually better live on Zoom before it’s compressed by YouTube.
A success of the past year has been the Whatsapp Community announcements group. We use this almost exclusively for last minute updates (like delayed trains), and only admins (Gerbo, Emily and I) can post in there. If you aren’t in this group and would like to be, please ask one of us.
We’re grateful for your patience with all the surveys (Emily and Gerbo have recently started doing some of these too)! With over 100 members they’re a necessary piece of the admin puzzle, especially when we’re trying to plan concerts. You should now receive an email confirmation when you’ve completed a survey.
Finally, a huge thank you to Phil Barnes for all his wonderful photos. I still have some from St Editha’s I haven’t yet shared… You can find us: www.lichfieldgospelchoir.co.uk/members (password: gospelchoir) Instagram: @lichfieldgospel Facebook: Lichfield Gospel Choir
And please do encourage your friends to sign up to our mailing list online here.
Concerts Review - Andy Paterson We enjoyed a diverse range of Concerts during the year, with the prestige of performing in July at London’s Wigmore Hall as part of their African Concert Series. With a small stage, we were limited in the number of singers but a coachful of intrepid performers made landfall in the capital to enjoy an amazing collaboration with the African Imbube Singers. Under Themba & Gabriella’s guidance, we took the normally-staid venue by storm with aisle-dancing, rip-roaring applause and a standing ovation to conclude our now legendary performance. Such was its success that it has now brought about our most ambitious concert to date. With the Imbube Singers and a full complement of singers, we’re looking forward to a sell-out reprise in our own Cathedral in October, where we’ll celebrate 15 years of Lichfield Gospel Choir. In October, the familiar surroundings of Ss Peter & Paul Church hosted our concert in aid of Mercy Rescue Trust where we performed to full pews and raised a healthy contribution for Themba’s sister Jedidah's Kenyan charity. November brought us a challenging performance at St. Editha’s church in Tamworth where their failed heating and an unexpected dressing of Christmas trees kept us all on our toes and looking lively as we warmed up the appreciative audience with a festive repertoire. And as if freezing indoor temperatures weren’t enough, a month later and in true festive spirit, we joined a collaboration of singers at the National Memorial Arboretum for a sparkling session of outdoor carols and a selection from our own African repertoire, ably led by our gloved, scarved and hatted Musical Directors. Finally, thanks must go to Janet Gibson and Ian Weetman for ongoing storage and transportation of all our staging components and - of course – to Themba & Gabriella for their indomitable leadership and inspiration throughout another wonderful year of joyful singing. Long may it continue. Musical Directors' Review Themba Mvula & Gabriella Liandu This has been a very special year for the choir. With slightly fewer concerts in the diary than usual, our focus was largely on preparing for our performance at Wigmore Hall. This gave us the opportunity to learn lots of exciting new repertoire. Songs including Hlohonolofatsa , Abanije and Kayra Sillo have stretched us in new ways and expanded the range of our repertoire. The Wigmore Hall project—initiated by the African Concert Series— also introduced us to the Imbube Singers. They have been a real source of inspiration, introducing us to new choir favourites such as Shosholoza and Thula Thula , but also wowing us with the powerful voices and electric dance moves! The workshop they led was extremely memorable, and sharing the Wigmore Hall stage with them was an unforgettable experience (one we’re incredibly excited to bring to Lichfield later this year). Another highlight was our October concert in aid of Mercy Rescue, which was a huge success and raised a significant sum. It further strengthened our relationship with Ray Prince and Ian Reed who always add so much to our performances. And finally, there was the workshop at Birmingham University for Shaping The Arts, where we were joined by members from the Gospel Revisited Project Choir and the Birmingham University Gospel Choir. The sense of mutual appreciation between the groups was palpable, and we very much hope this will lead to future collaborations. We continue to be immensely proud of the choir and delighted with how we are developing musically. We look forward to another exciting year ahead! Financial Report - Michael Jones The income that the Choir received in the financial year 2024/25 was £28,556.10 and the expenditure that the choir paid out was £25,453.29. This means that at the 31st March 2025 the choir held a surplus of £7,406.37.{starting balance carried forward was £4,303.56} During the last twelve months we have seen monthly subscriptions rise from £12 to £18 halfway through the year to cover against rising expenditure levels. The current levels of choir membership mean that at present we are able to cover all our monthly expenditure. The surplus which we held at the end of the financial year was helped by a successful gift aid claim which highlights the importance of this income stream moving forward. Details of all income and expenditure can be seen in the balance sheet contained within the report. Once again, we are grateful to Kate Farrington who kindly agreed to act as Honorary Independent Examiner for the choir's accounts this year. INCOME AND EXPENDITURELICHFIELD ACCOUNTGOSPEL- 12CHOIR Months ended 31 March 2025 INCOME EXPENDITURE £ £ BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD Opening Cash 0.00 Opening Bank 4,303.56 Subs 19,410.00 Musical Directors Expenses 18,449.99 Gift Aid Relaimed 2,527.01 Rehearsal Room Hire 2,307.50 Ticket Sales 4,354.74 Accompanists’ Fees for Cancerts 434.30 Concert Fees 950.00 Donation 1,396.36 Coach Paid by Wigmore Hall 950.00 Coach Hire 950.00 Miscellaneous 330.86 Sundry 484.72 Bank Interest 33.49 Equipment 324.07 Printing, Advertising & Website 448.45 Zoom Subscription & Data 320.90 Making Music Subscription 337.00 Closing Cash & Bank from reconciliation 7,406.37 —32,859.66 —32,859.66_ | approve these Accounts as correct and acepted by the Committee s:$ M Jones M ft ZZ I certify these Accounts as examined by me. C Farrington CMe. L winglon Committee & Charity Trustees ~» f| 7 ae mt | on if } : | va Above: Gerbo Huisman, Chair. Emily Bacon, Secretary. Michael Jones, Treasurer. Kate Slater, Digital Media Officer. Below: Iona Chisholm, General Officer. Andy Paterson, Events Officer. Kate Courage, Social Events Officer. Hilary Ford, General Officer. Henry Drake, General Officer 2025 Election Schedule Terms of Office & Election Schedule Responsibility/Office To serve | Available for | Post open until re-election for elections Emily 2024 2027, [ n/a ND Bacon 2024 2027, |nfa[ND] Michael Jones 2022 2025 Kate Slater Digital Media 2023 2026 |n/fa +=+|No sis Andy Paterson 2022 2025 Kate Courage Social Events 2023 2026 infa =~ «| No—~™EF lona Chisholm 2024 2027, [n/a ND Hilary Ford 2022 2025, |No i Yes Henry Drake 2023 2026 Secretary: Treasurer: 112 Gaia Lane 38 Bracken Close Lichfield Lichfield WS13 7LS WS14 9RU Bank: Registered Charity No: Lloyds TSB Bank plc 1153553 Burton-on-Trent branch PO Box 1000 BX1 1LT If you would prefer a hard-copy of this Annual Report, please request one from any member of the Committee or email* lichfieldgospelchoir@gmail.com Lichfield Gospel Choir is a Registered Charity No: 1153553 http://www.lichfieldgospelchoir.co.uk
Copyright © 2025 Lichfield Gospel Choir, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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LICHFIELD GOSPEL CHOIR INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT - 12 Months ended 31 March 2025
| INCOME BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD Opening Cash Opening Bank Subs Gift Aid Relaimed Ticket Sales Concert Fees Coach Fares Miscellaneous Bank Interest |
EXPENDITURE £ 0.00 4,303.56 19,432.00 Musical Directors Expenses 2,527.01 Accompanists Fees for Concerts 3,059.63 Room hire 2,745.11 Donation 0.00 Coach Hire 1,270.86 Sundry 33.49 Equipment Printing, advertising & website Zoom subscription & data Making Music Subscription Closing Cash & Bank from reconciliation 33,371.66 |
£ 19,105.89 434.30 2,382.50 1,396.36 950.00 551.69 257.10 358.45 192.00 337.00 7,406.37 |
|---|---|---|
| 33,371.66 | ||
I approve these Accounts as correct and acepted by the Committee
I certify these Accounts as examined by me.
M Jones C Farrington
0.00
input in white cells only
Income
| Income | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Ref | Details | Paid In Date | Value | Opening Funds from Floats |
| 01.04.24 standing order subs April ( ? x £12) 01.05.24 standing order subs May (? x £12) 01.06.24 standing order subs June (? x £12) 01.07.24 standing order subs July (? x £12) 01.08.24 standing order subs Aug (? x £12) 01.09.24 standing order subs Sept (? x £18) 01.10.24 standing order subs Oct (?x £18) 01.11.24 standing order subs Nov (? x £18) 01.12.24 standing order subs Dec (? x £18) 01.01.25 standing order subs Jan (? x £18) 01.02.25 standing order subs Feb (? x £18) 01.03.25 standing order subs March (? x £18) Interest on Savings ST CHADS LICHFIELD FESTIVAL REFRESHMENTS FROM CONCERT WIGMORE HALL REFUND HIRE OF COACH VIA THEMBA MVULA Sale of Scarves Ticket Sales Mercy Rescue Trust Concert HMRC Gift AID Card Sales Mercy Rescue Trust Concert Cash Ticket Sales and Refreshments Mercy Rescue Trust Concert St Ediths |
1320.00 1260.00 1212.00 1260.00 1230.00 1698.00 1936.00 1878.00 1914.00 1878.00 1842.00 2004.00 33.49 500.00 1295.11 226.86 950.00 94.00 1882.81 2527.01 336.00 840.82 950.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 |
||||
| Total | 29,068.10 | 0.00 | |||
29,068.10
==> picture [494 x 61] intentionally omitted <==
| Subs | Concert Fees | Bank Interest |
Ticket Sales |
Scarves Sales |
Coach Fares |
Miscellane ous |
Gift Aid Relaimed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1320.00 1260.00 1212.00 1260.00 1230.00 1698.00 1936.00 1878.00 1914.00 1878.00 1842.00 2004.00 33.49 500.00 1295.11 226.86 950.00 94.00 1882.81 2527.01 336.00 840.82 950.00 |
|||||||
| 19,432.00 | 2,745.11 | 33.49 | 3,059.63 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,270.86 | 2,527.01 |
input in white cells only
Expenditure
| Expenditure | input in white cells only | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Payee cheque no |
Details | Value | Float paid into bank |
| 9/4/2024 P Emily Bacon Material for Scarves 19/4/2024 P Gabriella Liandu Recording Tracks 19/4/2024 Andy Paterson Microphone 1/5/2024 P Gabriella Liandu Singing Day 2/5/2024 P Gabriella Liandu APRIL 2/5/2024 P Themba Mvula APRIL 20/5/2024 P Holycross APRIL 21/5/2024 P Kate Slater Data 3/6/2024 P Themba Mvula MAY 7/6/2024 E Gabriella Liandu MAY 18/6/2024 E Holycross MAY 24/6/2024 E City Life ADVERT 7/3/2024 !!! Holycross MARCH 1/7/2024 Michael Jones Cups/Plates for concert 1/7/2024 E Themba Mvula JUNE 8/7/2024 E Holycross JUNE 8/7/2024 P Michael Jones Coffee/Tea/Milk for concert 9/7/2024 E Andy Paterson Staging 10/7/2024 E Gabriella Liandu JUNE 16/7/2024 Gabriella Liandu ST CHADS 16/7/2024 Themba Mvula ST CHADS 10/7/2024 E LA TRAVEL Coach Wigmore Hall 1/8/2024 E Woodhouse Farm Picnic 2/8/2024 E Holycross JULY 5/8/2024 E Kate Slater Data 5/8/2024 E Kate Slater Cards 7/8/2024 E Gabriella Liandu Festival 13/8/2024 E Themba Mvula JULY 14/8/2024 E Andy Paterson Flowers 27/8/2024 E Gabriella Liandu JULY 13/9/2024 E Holycross AUGUST |
106.70 287.90 79.00 205.30 419.92 1,536.47 305.00 66.00 809.09 501.90 172.50 10.00 230.00 33.62 643.28 172.50 7.76 178.10 249.70 385.20 406.05 950.00 50.00 230.00 71.00 9.00 334.65 1,826.66 35.00 494.70 30.00 |
| 13/9/2024 E City Life Advert 9/9/2024 J Clarke Refund of Subs 23/9/2024 E Themba Mvula SEPTEMBER 30/9/2024 E Gabriella Liandu SEPTEMBER 8/10/2024 E Holycross SEPTEMBER 21/10/2024 E Lichfield Community Advert Concert 22/10/2024 E Gabriella Liandu October (part) 28/10/2024 E Kate Slater Flyers for Concert 29/10/2024 Kate Slater 31/10/2024 E Gabriella Liandu october (part) and Concert 1/11/2024 E Themba Mvula OCTOBER 1/11/2024 E Ian Reid 1/11/2024 E The Principal 11/11/2024 Mercy Rescue Surplus from Concert 14/11/2024 E Andy Paterson 18/11/2024 E Holycross OCTOBER 22/11/2024 E Gabriella Liandu OCTOBER 6/12/2024 E Making Music 11/12/2024 Emily Bacon 12/12/2024 E Themba Mvula NOVEMBER 20/12/2024 E Holycross NOVEMBER 20/12/2024 E Gabriella Liandu NOVEMBER 8/1/2025 E Themba Mvula DECEMBER 15/1/2025 E Holycross DECEMBER 23/1/2025 E Gerbo HUISMAN 15th PARTY 23/1/2025 Gerbo HUISMAN 15th PARTY 23/1/2025 E Kate Slater Website 23/1/2025 E Kate Slater DATA 30/1/2025 E Themba Mvula January 3/2/2025 E Gabriella Liandu Concert NMA 3/2/2025 E Gabriella Liandu January 11/3/2025 E Gabriella Liandu FEBRUARY 13/3/2025 Michael Jones Printer Paper |
10.00 12.00 1,133.84 554.93 172.50 66.00 695.93 37.65 32.00 564.20 1,509.19 212.60 221.70 1,396.36 50.00 362.50 822.85 337.00 75.00 1,684.07 172.50 642.85 397.43 57.50 30.99 64.65 244.80 55.00 775.47 375.70 350.00 751.24 7.00 |
|---|---|
| 25/3/2025 E Holycross FEBRUARY 28/3/2025 E Andy Paterson 3/3/2025 E Themba Mvula FEBRUARY 4/3/2025 E Holycross JANUARY |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 25,965.29 | 0.00 | |
| 25,965.29 |
==> picture [669 x 70] intentionally omitted <==
| Musical Directors Expenses |
Accompanists Fees for Concerts |
Room hire | Making Music Subscription |
Donation | Sundry | Equipment | Coach Hire |
Printing, advertising & website |
Zoom subscription & data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106.70 287.9 79.00 205.30 419.92 1536.47 305.00 66.00 809.09 501.90 172.50 10.00 230.00 33.62 643.28 172.50 7.76 178.10 249.70 385.20 406.05 950.00 50.00 230.00 71.00 9.00 334.65 1,826.66 35.00 494.70 30.00 |
10.00 12.00 1,133.84 554.93 172.50 66.00 695.93 37.65 32.00 564.20 1,509.19 212.60 221.70 1,396.36 50.00 362.50 822.85 337.00 75.00 1,684.07 172.50 642.85 397.43 57.50 30.99 64.65 244.80 55.00 775.47 375.7 350 751.24
7.00
| 230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
230.00 102.97 747.37 172.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,105.89 | 434.30 | 2,382.50 | 337.00 | 1,396.36 | 551.69 | 257.10 | 950.00 | 358.45 | 192.00 |
| Reconciliation (Input in yellow cells only) Opening Bank (current account & saving account) Opening Cash Add Income Less Expenditure Actual bank Per bank statements 31/03/2025 Add Monies paid in not on bank statement Date Total Theoretical closing bank (current account & saving account) |
Reconciliation (Input in yellow cells only) Opening Bank (current account & saving account) Opening Cash Add Income Less Expenditure Actual bank Per bank statements 31/03/2025 Add Monies paid in not on bank statement Date Total Theoretical closing bank (current account & saving account) |
£ |
|---|---|---|
| 4,303.56 | ||
| 0.00 | ||
| 29,068.10 25,965.29 |
||
| 7,406.37 | ||
| 5,574.61 | ||
| Date | £ | |
| Total | 0.00 |
Less
payments due not yet on bank statement
details £
date cleared
| Bank restated Difference to theoretical balance |
||
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0.00 | |
| 5,574.61 -1,831.76 |
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Lichfield Gospel Choir (Charity Niimhpr 1147SS7) l port to the tnisiees oi) my examination of the accounls of the Lichfield Gospel Choir (the Twsi) for the year ended 31 Maich 2025. Rp<nnnihilitip And hasis nf rpnnrf As the charity mistees of the Tnjst you are responsible for the preparaiion of the accounts in accordance wilh Ihe requiremenis of the Charilies Aci 2011 {'the Act.). I report in respeci of my examination of the Trust's accounis carried out under seciion 145 of Ihp ?01 l Art and in carrwnn niit mv pxaminalinn I havp followpd all Ihe aDDlicahle Directions nivp.n hv thp Charitv Commission ijnder seciion 145f5)(b) of Ihe Act Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm thai no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that In any maierial respect: i. accounn'ng records Vre not kepi in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act: or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connection wilh the examination io which attention should be drawn In this report In order io enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Name" Carherine Farnnoton Addrp*s". 101 GIlvaV Lane. Tamwnrth. Staffordshirp. 879 BPJ Date" 8 Sp.ntpmhp.r 2Q25