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← The Fourth Choir

2023-08-31-accounts

The Fourth Choir Trustees Annual Report And Accounts For The YeAr Ended 31 August 2023 Charity f4umber J 156769

The Fourth Chotr Trustees. Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 August 2023 Ch9ir Report This report wvrrs our elev¢llth y￿r as a choir and our lenth full reportinB period a5 a charity. The choir continued to build on our momenhjn) gained in the previous year in building back to full ¢apa¢ity at our pre- pandetnic lev¢I5. Thi5 wa5 borne out in an increased number of appearances rhrough professional booking5 in additiott to our own promoted concerts, with a total of ten appearances this season in cojnparison to four 2021-22, allowing us to share our usic and Jni5sion with a wider audience and range of partneis. While we continued to work with a range of leading conductors throughout the year, the choir also look ihe slrntegic step of appointiiig a Musi¢31 Direcior w provide I0￿ger terni leadersliip and driv¢ the choir's artisiir dev¢lopni¢nt. The Trustees nia(Je the decision lo appoint Jamie Powe after working witli him oft Ihree highly successful ¢on¢erts and appearances aiid noting his passion for, knowledge of and cornimiliiient to bringing Inusic by und¢rrepT¢5ent¢d ¢ompo5ers to the fore, as well a5 his outstanding musicality and his resolute allyshtp to the LGBTQ+ community. The start of IRinie's tenure as Musical Director is September 202i where he will programine and conduct a concert to mark the choir'% 10-year anniversary. The season also saw the choir increase our reach and impact through a number of high-PFofile projects and perforniances oiitside London. We were lioi)oured to participate iii the Royal British Legion'5 Festival of Rernetnbrancc, where ive salig a setting of Tlie Lord's Pi?y¢r, Ivhi¢h was televised oil BBC) and broadcast on BBC Radio 2. In July we look part in the Barbican's Classical Pride concert, perfOr1￿]ng for tlie firsi tift)e in the Barbi¢an Hall, and featuring in a perfomiènce that was widely shar¢d on socÈal tn¢dia. including HBO'S Youtube channel. We also capped the Se￿on with our first p¢rforniance at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, allowin¥ us to r¢ach an audien¢¢ of classical music lover5 outside Londoll and share our unique pro8ramiiJing and perspective. Diversily and inclusion hns continued to be a priorlty in both our Inusical programming and management of the ¢hoir. We arranged a half-day woi'kshop run by leadÈng charity GendeTed Intelligence to provide iraining on trans awareness and inclusion f(Ir our Musical Director, twst¢e group ond s¢ction leaders irt April. We have also continued to show¢3se works by underrepresented compos¢rs in all ovr coiieerts and engageinen(s, bringing awareness of music that is infrequently programined by otljer clioirs. It) Julyj tts Inark London'$ Pi"ide feslival, we were also particularly proiid to sing a ¢on¢ert of works entirely by queer ¢omposers at London's i¢oni¢ Wiginore H811. Looking ahead to our next sta￿0n. the Truslee5 are excited to begiii our journey wilh Jaini¢ Pow¢ at tlie helm as OUT Rew Musical Director, a season in which we plan to invest two new Choral ¢ommissions atsd undertake a significant Tecording project in order to continue widenin8 our reach. EdwaTd Lotlg Cha&r. Th¢ Fourth Choir

The Fourth Choir Trusttes, Annual Report For Tlie Year Ended 31 August 2023 (Continued) Objects 9nd Orggnisatlon Th¢ objects of tlie Charitable In¢oiy)rated Organisation are.. The education of the public in the art of choral Jnusic through the presentation of concerts. public recitals 8nd other such means as the Trustees shall decide: and 2. To PFomote equality and diversity for the public benefjt with particular reference lo the LGB T+ communtty and, in particular but not exclusively. Advancin8 education and raising awareness in equality and diversity. Promoting activities to foster undersiandiiig beiween people from div¢TS¢ background5.' and Cultivating a sentiment in favour of equality and diversity, in particular through celebrllting diversity of the LGBT+ Community. Value5 The choir continues to be lcd by our agreed ¢or¢ values in planning and managiTrg our activities, namely.. W¢ aTe proud t() be a choir of LGBT+ singers and alli¢s We are p35sionate about musical ex¢ellen¢e, aboui improving our skills and having fun W¢ nurture an in¢lusiv¢ Space and c¢l¢brate dIVe￿ity We are Creative, collaborative and ambitious We are a supportive, big-hcarted and welcoming commuttity Athievements And Performgnce We are delighted and proud of the choir's achievements in t112s. oiir eleventh year. These achievements in¢lud¢- Appointing JaThi¢ Powe as our nEW Mu5iral DirertOT Iiicreasiiig the number of performances within th¢ season to eight, thanks to increased external bookings and invites perform￿￿8 for the first tiine ai SJiap¢ Maltings Concert Hall, tlie Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Hall, the Wigmore Hall and Eliham Palace, Singing at a hsgh-profile televised eveiit for tlie Royal British Lcgioii's Festival of Remembran¢¢ Holding our m¢inber5' residetltial event in Kent for the first tim¢ sin¢e th¢ paiidemi¢ Performance5 Events lili Ghronological order) From GreAt King$ to tla¢ Great Ggtsby- October 2022 Our first C4)ncert of the sea50n. at the histOTiC ElihaTn Pala¢e, celebrated the long history of thc vcnue, with works from and inspired by boih the Tudor period and the jazz age. We were thrilled to be conducted for a second time by Hillary Campbell and io work with two leading professional mu5ician5. lan Shaw provi(fed piano accompaniment a rarity for the choir- for several piece5 includillg the luxuriant Ser¢nade to Music by Vau8han WilliaIKs and we welconied back lutenist JonataTh Bougt. who played the th¢orbo and 8Ultar. Actor Jam¢s Tucker interspersed the musical rtumbers with readings on the his¢ory of the palace and exceTPts from The Great Gatsby.

Th¢ Fourth Choir Trusteu, Annufll Report For The Ve&r Ended 31 August 2023 (Contlnu¢d) Royal British LegioD Festival of Reniembi'an¢e- November 2022 A highlight of the season and an honour- was our invitation to perfom in the Royal Brilish Legion Festival of Reniernbrance at the Royal Albert Hall, ¢ommemoratii)g all those that have served and sacrificed from Britain and (he Commonwealth. The Choir was ¢ondu¢ted by Jamie Powe and sang a setting of The Lord's Prayer by Williain Petter foT Ihe Service of Reinetnbrance. We 31s0 joined actress Sl)oiia McGarty in a rendilion of Leonard Cohen'5 Hallclujah and sang the hyrnn5 Jerusalein and Sunset (based on the tradititsnal bugle Call) with the Ba¢h Choir and con8regation. Philippa Rawlinson. Director of Remernbrance at the Royal British Legion ¢omn)eEJted= Foi. iiieyoiiv singing ofihe Lord s Pi'ayei. Ivasperfeci foi. Ilie niomenl andiook beaiiiifiilly 0￿fI.0￿? iheprajyrs io ihepoeni. Music for a Winter's Night- D¢cemb¢r 2022 In De¢¢mbeT we returned to St CIEm¢nt Danes church for an eclectic celebrdtion of the wiiiter seasoj a¢TOSS difftrent times, cultures and tradition5, a82in programmed and conducted by Jatnie Powe. Then)es of miraculous birth were explored. from early work5 by underTepresented Composers includ2ng Viceftte Lusitano the first black composer published in Europe, and the recently redi5eovered legacy of women comw)sers who worked in Renaissa]i¢e lialian convents. These were paired with more modern works by Nathalliel tktt, Cecilia McDowall and ShFuihi Rajeskar's shiminering Star of Rohini, which draws parallels between th¢ mythologies surrounding the bi11hs of thc infant Jesus and Krislina. In the second half of the wncert the choir sang traditional and T¢irnagined ¢arols and seasonal work5 in Sw¢di5h, Spanish, Hebrew and German as well as Jonatl)aii Dove's dr%unalic work Tl)¢ Three Kings. We invited Aderonke Apata. the founder of African Rainboii, Family. to give an address and took a fundraising colleciion frorn ihe audience to support theii. WOFk wilh LGB TlQ+ migrdnts. A Christmas Ggiety- December 2022 In December we wer¢ also delightcd to perforn) at the Royal Albert Hall for the Se￿nd time in two months. in their variety show A Christmas Gaiety. produced by conducror Edwin OuEW2ter and drag perfomer Pea¢h¢s Christ. The choLT was prnud to perform alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra, or8ani51 Anna Lapw0￿. West End star Marisha Wallace. vogue ensemble the House of Revlon and drag anists Le Gateau Chocolat, Cheddar Gorgeous and Pixie Polite. ROYAI Acgd¢my of Music Cliorgl Conducting MASterelass - JAnuary 2023 We weie invited to sing as part of a masteTclass for the cohon of choral coiiducting Ma5teT5 Students al th¢ Royal Academy of MusiG, lcd by Paddy Ru55ill. The Choir wa5 led by sitsdents from the first aiid second year of th¢ progrnmme, with coachEng froni Paddy and Hilary Campbell. The Only PIAnet- April 2023 For our first concert of 2023, we were eleted to Teturn to the Sam Wana¥naker Ployhou5¢ at Shakespearc's Globe.. a space w¢ last perform¢d at pr¢-pand¢mic in 2019 and whi¢h we liave developed a stTong relationship with.

The Fourth Choir Trustee5' AnnuAI Report For The year Ended 31 August 2023 {Continued) The choir was conducled by Dusty Francis, one of our own singers, who pui together a program examining our environinental responsibilities a5 Steiv2rds of our planet strtjctured atound the folk song In the Cool of the Day, by Jean Ritchie. Many of the ivorks were Amgri¢an. drawn both froin early hymnal tradition and 20th century works 5u¢h as Samuel Barber, Th¢ Coolin. Particularly 11012ble ivorks for tlie ¢hoir were a P¢Tformance of Fiiinisli coniposer J2akko MantyjaTVi'5 rnasterpi￿ Canticuin Calamttatis Maritimae a 13 minute work lamettiing the ￿gi¢ sinking of lh¢ MS Estonia - and Cooper Baldiviii's dramatic Libera Me, which combines texts from the Requiem mass and the 2022 IPCC report to demand action to address th¢ Climate OneBodyOlleF%tith Memorial Serviee- April 2023 The Charity OneBodyOneFaith held a memori¢il seivi¢e raising awareness among church leader5 to 1055 of lif¢ to suicide and lh¢ wider ¢xperien¢e of harm experienced by LGBT+ people, following exclusion frolli and misiT¢atmenl in church eiivirooinents. The Fourth Choir was honoured to participate in the seivice, which included representatives from ten different Chrisiian deJiomii)ations. where we sang Fallre's In Paradisum &5 well as works by Stephen Patilus and William Hawl¢y. Ken¢h Hill m¢mbers' r¢$tdential- May 2023 We were particul&rly thankful to be able to liold our first Inember5' residential weekend in Kent since the pandemic. These events are an opportunity for the choii to develop our wider musicality. focus more deeply on our mugic and build social bonds among OUT singeTS. Ill addition lo the work on repertoire. hi8hlight5 of the weekend were a conducting mastercl&ss delivered by MD Jamie Pow¢ and a vocal technique workshop with baritone Bertie Rice. [￿Ve. Loss & the Whol¢ D&mn Thing- June 202J In June we were pleased lo iiiake OUT debiit in Loiidoii'5 Icading classical niiisic veniie tlie Wigmore Hall in an LGBTQ+ Pride concert. Woi'king with conductor Nicho12s Chalmer5. we preparcd a PTogramme ¢elebTating works by queer coinp05ers from a wide range of backgrounds. Particular highlights were £4 boy & a boy by Stuart Beatch, ollr former composer in resideiice. Jennifer Higdon's comedic and Thythmically Ghalleoging Tglegrum and William Linthi¢um-Bla¢khotse's A Dieam Wiihin a Dieam. We were especially grateful to have the concert presented by BBC Radio 3 presentei Pet￿¢ Trelawny and to featUTe an introduction and sppxial p¢rforman¢¢ from the ¢hoiT'S Artistic Patron, Darne Ann mu￿aY. Cli$$ieAI Pride at The BarbicaN Hall- July 2023 Another highlight of Lojidon's Pride celebrations was Classical Pride a concert d¢vised by condu¢tor Oliver Zeffman and held at BaTbican Hall. This wa5 the first European cl8S5ical pride concert with a tnajor orchestra and the Fourth Choir was proud to participate the cliorus, whiclj also included siiiger5 from oilier qu¢er choirs around London, including Ilie London Tran5 Choir.

The fourth Choir Trusttts. Annugl Report For The Year Ended 31 August 2023 (Continued) Our first time performtng in the Barbican Hall. we saiig in a newly cornilli55i0ned work, FLhoes, by Julian Anderson with b2ritone soloist Davone Tines and the City of Binninghain Syinphony OT¢lies¢ra. Th¢ concert also starred a¢¢laimed musicians Pavel Kolesnikov. Samson Tsoy. Nicky Spence. and Ella Taylor 8nd raised money for three LGBTQ+ charili¢5-. Terrence Higgins Trusi, Amplifund and Rainbow Railroad. The Times wrote.. t7lie AF7dei'50P7J ILlaS F'apliirously sung by the LGBTQ4. Comthi¥rtiiy Choir assembledfor the oecasion. The ¢l)oir also sang itl an encore nurnber with Ella Taylor, perfoming th¢ theme fiDtn HBO'S TV seri¢s The White Lotus. A recording ofthe encore wa5 widely shared on Social tnedii receiving over 750,000 view5 on Youtube. My Beloved MAI)- August 2023 Capping an extraoTdinary season of firsts for lh¢ ¢hoir, in August we were thrilled to perfor1￿ for the first time at Snape M3liings in Aldeburgh- The conceTt hall built by Benjainiii Britten and his life partner Peier Pears_ Appiopriote lo the v¢nu¢, th¢ ¢onc¢rt was inspired by Britten atld Pears. )9-year relationship and works by Britten. his niemporaries and influencers were interspersed with Teadings fiom iheir letters to ont anoilier read by classical radio presenters Zeb Soans las Britt¢nl and Peii'oc Trelawiiy las PeteT PeaFS). The readings were compiled by ¢hoir member Scamus Rea aiid the ¢on¢ert was ¢o¢Jdu¢t¢d by Nichola5 Clialmers. As well as perfonniiig Britten'5 llymn lo ihe ViF¥in and extracts froin his ch￿al DaReesftom Gloi'iana. the concert f¢alured nurnbers by Imogen Holst, Michael Tippett, Samuel Barber. Purcell. Montev¢rdi and Pérotin. The concert was Tapturously received with one audience meiiiber writiiig- I've nevei. known an enliie Lhoir lo need io Gon7e batk 10 loke u secondciil'loin call I've been goingiegulai.ly io.Snapefor ne£W'ly 4Qyeaisl So Ivell de5eived. Public Benefit Our cliaTity'S ptsnJos¢s in¢lude the education of the public in the art of ¢l)oral m1151C througli the presentation of concerts. As noted above, we significantly increased thc number of public performan¢¢s in comparison to our 2Q21-22 season. as well as rcacliing wider number5 of pcoplc tlirough appearances on publicly broadcast events and wiO¢ly-shared video recordings.. Our charity's purposcs also included the PTomoiion of equality and diversity for the publi¢ b¢nefit iviih particular reference to th¢ LGBTQ+ cominuRily. This season we paid for professional development for several of our key membcrs to improve their awareness of trans experiences and best practiccs for inGliision. We also raised awareness of the lived experience of queer composets through our eoncert pro8rainming. particularly through ovr Pride concert at the Wigmore Hall. in which w¢ shared biographical infomation about the featured composeTS in our concert programme. and our Beloved Man concert in Norfolk, which featured intimaie and insightful d¢tails of the live8 of Betjjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Our work this year has also suppolled other charities including tlie Royal British Legion, African Rainbow Fftmily and Maggie's Can¢er Care. for whom our sin8ers participated in a Christmas ¢arol singing fundraiser.

The Fourth Choir TrLlStees' Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 Aiigust 2023 (Continued) Structure. Goyernllnce find MAnAgem¢nt GoveTnance The Fourth Choir was constituted as a ChaTitable IncorpoTated Organisation on 22 April 2014., before that date. the Choir ¢xisted as a non-iegisteTed body established on I Septeinber 2013. The accounis for ihe tenth p¢riod of trading of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation commence on 01 Scptembcr 2022 and run until 31 August 2023. The ITUStees who have served during the period and since commencement are Set out on pauF¢ l. None of ihe Iruslees, nor any pcrson Collmected to thein, has received any paid remiineration from the Cliarity in the period lo 31 August 2023. The power to appoint trustees is vested in existing trusiees. Apart from the first Charity tru5tE¢s. every trustee must be appointed for a lerm of three years by resolutioo passed at a prop¢rly convened meetiiig of the Charity tru5t¢¢5. All major decisions, including those of a fJnan¢ial rtaturt, are Thad¢ by the Board of Ttu$tees at their mcetings. Method of Electlon ofTrtsstets TIw5te¢s are appointed tlirough the unanimous voting of the Board of Tru5te¢s. The Board of Trustees is made up of choiT members who demonstrate the con)miiment and ability to contribute valuable skills tOWaTds the running of the ¢hoir. Tru5rees are appointed for 3 years. The first trustees were aypoilited for 2, 3 and 4 y¢ars to ensure continuity of leadership. The key skills covered by the trustees include.. financial management and planniDg' day to day runtiing of the choir. includitjg reh¢ar5a15, Ineinber5hip and communication5,' events planning and ext¢Tnal liaison. events ijattagement and supervision., fund rai$in8,' and secretarial n)les. FinAnee Tlie attaclied financial State[ne￿t5 sliow the currejit State of the Choir's fJiian¢es whi¢li tlie ¢ommitt¢e constders to be soiind. Reserve5 The Btsard of Trustees has determined a rolling policy of reserve maintenance. wilh a tsrgei of £7,000 to be held a rapidly available credit balance in the principal choir bank account. This reserve exists to providr financial stability and mitigate against any unexpected expenses, and is devcloped througli the setting of clear budgetary targets at the beginning of the year and meeting regularly to r¢view p¢rformance. Future Plins For the 2023124 sea5011 the Board of Trustees plans to continue to build on the achievemrnts of the Choir's first tcn years by-. Coin1￿15$10nlng two Dew works to pr¢mieT¢ at a concert to celebrate the choir'5 first decade Recording our first full-length album Continuing to organi5e, prornote and perfonJ self-promoted con¢¢ns Continuing to grow our profe55ioI)al bookings business Looking for opportuiiilies to perforin ai classical fesiivals and venues outside London Rai5in8 awareness of tlie choir through increased publicity and social media activitie5 Forniing new relationships, and dev¢loping ¢xi$ting ones, wtth sponsors. benefactors. charities, ¢omposers, professxonal musicians. ans promoter5 and LGBT+ organisations.

The Fourth Choir Tru5tee5' Annual Report For The Year Ended 31 August 2023- continued Refer¢nc¢ gnd Administration Inform4tion ChArity Registr8tion Nllmb¢r- 1156769 Trustees,. Chair- Dr Edward Long rrust¢e- J￿7)eS MGGr£n¢ra Tru5tee- Dr Finn Schulze-Feldmann Tru5tee- Sarali D¢ Winter TnJstee- Eleanor May Dragonetti Tru5tee- Catrin Haf Jones TnJstee- Sophia 105ephitte Allen (Appointed 13.12.21) (Appointed 13.12.211 (reSIg￿ed 31.08.23) (Appointed 13.12.21) IAppoini¢d 13.12.21) (resigned 31.12.22) (Appoinied 13.12.21) Prin¢ip#l Cottt#¢t Addr¢$$- Flat 5 19 Percy Circus London W4X 9EE W¢bsitt.' www.Ihefourth¢hoir.¢om BAnkers: HSBC Lion House 25 Islingloii High Street Islington London NI 9LJ Independent ExAminer: MT A Butterfseld ACA Haines Watts Chartered Accountant5 Cliffe Hill Hou$¢ 22-26 Nottingham Road Stapleford Nottingham NG9 8AA Detlxration We declare in our capacity as trustees that the Trustees have approved this report and that we have been authoris¢d (o sign. Stgnalure Signatu Full Natne Full Name D. pi C &£6 K/tr<A USYEC Position Ctrlrt(L Position Date ,l.é/zy

Inde endent Examiner 5 Re ort to the Trustee5 of *the io, For the Year Ended 31 A ust 2023 I report to the Charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for ihe year ended 31 August 2023. Re5pon5ibilitie5 B%515 of Report As tlic Charity Trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements gf the Charitie5 Act 2011 {'the A¢t'). report iji re5PECt of tny exarnination of the CIO'S acrounts carried out under Se¢tion 145 of the Act. In corrying out my examination I liave followed all applicable directions giyens by the Charity Cominis5ion under Section 145(5Xbl of th¢ 2011 Aci. Independent Ex¥tmRner's Stgtement have completed my examination. l ¢onfirm that no material matters have eome to my attention in ¢onn¢ction with the examinaiion gyving me cause to believe that in any material respecr.. I l Accounting records were not kept ￿ required by Section 130 of the A¢t- or 2) The accounts do not accord with those record5. confinn thai tl)ere are no matters to which your attention should b¢ drawn to enable a proper understanding of tlie accounts to be Teachcd. Daied Mr A Butterfteld ACA Cliartered Accountant Haines Watts Chartered A¢eountants Cliffe Hill House 22.26 Notlingham Road Stapl¢ford Nottingh8m NG9 8AA

The Fourth Choir Receipts and Pgyments Actount5 For The Year Ended 31 August 2023 Note5 2023 2022 Unrestricted Fonds Vnr¢stricte Funds OPENING BALANCES HSBC Bank Cash in Hand PayPal 9,252 53 25,590 11,739 27,954 RECEIPTS Bank It2terest Grant Inconie A¢tivitie5 for Gener4ting Fund5: Special Events 11,263 Ch4ritAble Activities: Con¢¢rt Sa1¢5 11,722 9.173 Voluntary R¢¢elpts'. DonatlOll5 and Gift Aid Transfer of Fund Balance TOTAL RECIEPTS 19.482 12,827 42.467 22.000 YMENTS Fundraising Costs: Advertising and Marketing C0515 153 519 Cost of Ch￿rIt￿ble Activities: Equipment Hir¢ and Purchase Perfomiers V¢nue Hir¢ CoiiinJission5 and Scores Subscription5 PTr)duci Cosis Caieriiig Travel Cosis 1,740 6.746 14.022 7.249 997 502 483 733 524 8,063 10,509 4,354 728 413 747 (32,625) (25,857) SuppTrrt Costs: Professional Fees Insurance Printing. Postage and Stationery Bank Charges Mis¢¢llat]eou$ Training 14.166 418 650 276 10.411 534 ,137 176 100 657 16.167 (48,792) 12.358 138,215) DITU Excess Receipts Over Expenditure {6,325) 116,215) C105ing balAnces.' HSBC Bgnk BgIAnce Cssh in Hand Pgyphl Stripe 4,291 38 .176 91 9,252 53 2.554 120 739 Signature.... Chair SignatilTe.. . Treasurer Name.. Date.. Nam g.J.b.4U. l.h.OL2C - . Date..

The Fourth Choir Staiement of A55ots and li#bilities at the end of the year Unrestricted Funds Total Funds 2022123 Tot81 Funds Unr trttttd 202112 Cash Funds - HSBC B￿lk Balance Cash in Hand Paypal 4,291 38 9,252 53 2.554 Amounts- R¢¢eivable Id¢btorsl A]nounts Payable (Creditors) Payable (Accrued char8es) 91 720 91 720 120 690 Notes to the Aceounts Ba515 of Preparatloll And A55e5sment of Going Concern The accounts (financial stat¢inent5) have been prcparcd in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Ch&ratie5'. Statetnent of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in ac¢ord8n¢e with the FinaiJcial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IfRS1021 Issucd I, JanuaTy 2019. thc Financial Reporting StandaTd applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland {FRS1021, and the Charit1¢5 Act 2011. Assets and liabilitie5 are initially recogniscd at historical wst or transaction valu¢ un1¢55 Otherwise Stated in the relevant ￿coUnting policy note(s). The Chariiy ¢onstiiutes a poblic benefit entity as defined by FRSIO2. The trustees, consider that there are no material Iincertaintie5 abolit the charity'5 ability to continue as a going ncern. The ac¢ounts are presented in Sterling £. Income This is accounted for on a receivable purpose in the period which it is received. b} ment5 These are accounted for a5 paid. Actountancy Chnrges Ind¢pendent Examinatron following accounts preparation £720. Taxation The Charitable Trust is exempi from Corporation Tax on its Charitable activÉties. All monies c￿￿entlY held ar¢ unr¢51ricted in their application. 10

The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Chair’s Report

This report covers our eleventh year as a choir and our tenth full reporting period as a charity.

The choir continued to build on our momentum gained in the previous year in building back to full capacity at our pre-pandemic levels. This was borne out in an increased number of appearances through professional bookings in addition to our own promoted concerts, with a total of ten appearances this season in comparison to four in 2021-22, allowing us to share our music and mission with a wider audience and range of partners.

While we continued to work with a range of leading conductors throughout the year, the choir also took the strategic step of appointing a Musical Director to provide longer term leadership and drive the choir’s artistic development. The Trustees made the decision to appoint Jamie Powe after working with him on three highly successful concerts and appearances and noting his passion for, knowledge of and commitment to bringing music by underrepresented composers to the fore, as well as his outstanding musicality and his resolute allyship to the LGBTQ+ community. The start of Jamie’s tenure as Musical Director is September 2023 where he will programme and conduct a concert to mark the choir’s 10-year anniversary.

The season also saw the choir increase our reach and impact through a number of high-profile projects and performances outside London. We were honoured to participate in the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance, where we sang a setting of The Lord’s Prayer, which was televised on BBC1 and broadcast on BBC Radio 2. In July we took part in the Barbican’s Classical Pride concert, performing for the first time in the Barbican Hall, and featuring in a performance that was widely shared on social media, including HBO’s Youtube channel. We also capped the season with our first performance at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, allowing us to reach an audience of classical music lovers outside London and share our unique programming and perspective.

Diversity and inclusion has continued to be a priority in both our musical programming and management of the choir. We arranged a half-day workshop run by leading charity Gendered Intelligence to provide training on trans awareness and inclusion for our Musical Director, trustee group and section leaders in April. We have also continued to showcase works by underrepresented composers in all our concerts and engagements, bringing awareness of music that is infrequently programmed by other choirs. In July, to mark London’s Pride festival, we were also particularly proud to sing a concert of works entirely by queer composers at London’s iconic Wigmore Hall.

Looking ahead to our next season, the Trustees are excited to begin our journey with Jamie Powe at the helm as our new Musical Director, a season in which we plan to invest in two new choral commissions and undertake a significant recording project in order to continue widening our reach.

Edward Long Chair, The Fourth Choir

1

The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Objects and Organisation

The objects of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation are:

  1. The education of the public in the art of choral music through the presentation of concerts, public recitals and other such means as the Trustees shall decide; and

  2. To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit with particular reference to the LGBT+ community and, in particular but not exclusively,

  3. a. Advancing education and raising awareness in equality and diversity;

  4. b. Promoting activities to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds; and

  5. c. Cultivating a sentiment in favour of equality and diversity, in particular through celebrating diversity of the LGBT+ community.

Values

The choir continues to be led by our agreed core values in planning and managing our activities, namely:

Achievements and Performance

We are delighted and proud of the choir’s achievements in this, our eleventh year. These achievements include:

2

The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Performances and Events

(in chronological order)

From Great Kings to the Great Gatsby - October 2022

Our first concert of the season, at the historic Eltham Palace, celebrated the long history of the venue, with works from and inspired by both the Tudor period and the jazz age.

We were thrilled to be conducted for a second time by Hillary Campbell and to work with two leading professional musicians. Ian Shaw provided piano accompaniment - a rarity for the choir - for several pieces including the luxuriant Serenade to Music by Vaughan Williams and we welcomed back lutenist Jonatan Bougt, who played the theorbo and guitar.

Actor James Tucker interspersed the musical numbers with readings on the history of the palace and excerpts from The Great Gatsby.

Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance - November 2022

A highlight of the season - and an honour - was our invitation to perform in the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, commemorating all those that have served and sacrificed from Britain and the Commonwealth.

The Choir was conducted by Jamie Powe and sang a setting of The Lord's Prayer by William Petter for the Service of Remembrance. We also joined actress Shona McGarty in a rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and sang the hymns Jerusalem and Sunset (based on the traditional bugle call) with the Bach Choir and congregation.

Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion commented:

For me your singing of the Lord’s Prayer was perfect for the moment and took us beautifully on from the prayers to the poem.

Music for a Winter's Night - December 2022

In December we returned to St Clement Danes church for an eclectic celebration of the winter season across different times, cultures and traditions, again programmed and conducted by Jamie Powe.

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Themes of miraculous birth were explored, from early works by underrepresented composers including Vicente Lusitano – the first black composer published in Europe, and the recently rediscovered legacy of women composers who worked in Renaissance Italian convents. These were paired with more modern works by Nathaniel Dett, Cecilia McDowall and Shruthi Rajeskar's shimmering Star of Rohini, which draws parallels between the mythologies surrounding the births of the infant Jesus and Krishna.

In the second half of the concert the choir sang traditional and reimagined carols and seasonal works in Swedish, Spanish, Hebrew and German as well as Jonathan Dove’s dramatic work The Three Kings.

We invited Aderonke Apata, the founder of African Rainbow Family, to give an address and took a fundraising collection from the audience to support their work with LGBTIQ+ migrants.

A Christmas Gaiety - December 2022

In December we were also delighted to perform at the Royal Albert Hall for the second time in two months, in their variety show A Christmas Gaiety, produced by conductor Edwin Outwater and drag performer Peaches Christ.

The choir was proud to perform alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra, organist Anna Lapwood, West End star Marisha Wallace, vogue ensemble the House of Revlon and drag artists Le Gateau Chocolat, Cheddar Gorgeous and Pixie Polite.

Royal Academy of Music Choral Conducting Masterclass - January 2023

We were invited to sing as part of a masterclass for the cohort of choral conducting Masters students at the Royal Academy of Music, led by Paddy Russill. The choir was led by students from the first and second year of the programme, with coaching from Paddy and Hilary Campbell.

The Only Planet - April 2023

For our first concert of 2023, we were elated to return to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe: a space we last performed at pre-pandemic in 2019 and which we have developed a strong relationship with.

The choir was conducted by Dusty Francis, one of our own singers, who put together a program examining our environmental responsibilities as stewards of our planet structured around the folk song In the Cool of the Day, by Jean Ritchie.

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Many of the works were American, drawn both from early hymnal tradition and 20th century works such as Samuel Barber’s The Coolin.

Particularly notable works for the choir were a performance of Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s masterpiece Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae - a 13 minute work lamenting the tragic sinking of the MS Estonia - and Cooper Baldwin’s dramatic Libera Me, which combines texts from the Requiem mass and the 2022 IPCC report to demand action to address the climate crisis.

OneBodyOneFaith Memorial Service - April 2023

The charity OneBodyOneFaith held a memorial service raising awareness among church leaders to loss of life to suicide and the wider experience of harm experienced by LGBT+ people, following exclusion from and mistreatment in church environments.

The Fourth Choir was honoured to participate in the service, which included representatives from ten different Christian denominations, where we sang Fauré’s In Paradisum as well as works by Stephen Paulus and William Hawley.

Kench Hill members’ residential - May 2023

We were particularly thankful to be able to hold our first members’ residential weekend in Kent since the pandemic. These events are an opportunity for the choir to develop our wider musicality, focus more deeply on our music and build social bonds among our singers.

In addition to the work on repertoire, highlights of the weekend were a conducting masterclass delivered by MD Jamie Powe and a vocal technique workshop with baritone Bertie Rice.

Love, Loss & the Whole Damn Thing - June 2023

In June we were pleased to make our debut in London’s leading classical music venue the Wigmore Hall in an LGBTQ+ Pride concert. Working with conductor Nicholas Chalmers, we prepared a programme celebrating works by queer composers from a wide range of backgrounds.

Particular highlights were a boy & a boy by Stuart Beatch, our former composer in residence; Jennifer Higdon’s comedic and rhythmically challenging Telegram and William LinthicumBlackhorse’s A Dream Within a Dream .

We were especially grateful to have the concert presented by BBC Radio 3 presenter Petroc Trelawny and to feature an introduction and special performance from the choir’s Artistic Patron, Dame Ann Murray.

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Classical Pride at The Barbican Hall - July 2023

Another highlight of London’s Pride celebrations was Classical Pride – a concert devised by conductor Oliver Zeffman and held at Barbican Hall. This was the first European classical pride concert with a major orchestra and the Fourth Choir was proud to participate in the chorus, which also included singers from other queer choirs around London, including the London Trans Choir.

Our first time performing in the Barbican Hall, we sang in a newly commissioned work, Echoes , by Julian Anderson with baritone soloist Davóne Tines and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The concert also starred acclaimed musicians Pavel Kolesnikov, Samson Tsoy, Nicky Spence, and Ella Taylor and raised money for three LGBTQ+ charities: Terrence Higgins Trust, Amplifund and Rainbow Railroad.

The Times wrote:

[The Anderson] was rapturously sung by the LGBTQ+ Community Choir assembled for the occasion.

The choir also sang in an encore number with Ella Taylor, performing the theme from HBO’s TV series The White Lotus. A recording of the encore was widely shared on social media, receiving over 750,000 views on Youtube.

My Beloved Man - August 2023

Capping an extraordinary season of firsts for the choir, in August we were thrilled to perform for the first time at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh – the concert hall built by Benjamin Britten and his life partner Peter Pears.

Appropriate to the venue, the concert was inspired by Britten and Pears’ 39-year relationship and works by Britten, his contemporaries and influencers were interspersed with readings from their letters to one another read by classical radio presenters Zeb Soans (as Britten) and Petroc Trelawny (as Peter Pears). The readings were compiled by choir member Séamus Rea and the concert was conducted by Nicholas Chalmers.

As well as performing Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin and extracts from his Choral Dances from Gloriana , the concert featured numbers by Imogen Holst, Michael Tippett, Samuel Barber, Purcell, Monteverdi and Pérotin.

The concert was rapturously received with one audience member writing:

I’ve never known an entire choir to need to come back to take a second curtain call and I’ve been

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

going regularly to Snape for nearly 40 years! So well deserved.

Public Benefit

Our charity’s purposes include the education of the public in the art of choral music through the presentation of concerts. As noted above, we significantly increased the number of public performances in comparison to our 2021-22 season, as well as reaching wider numbers of people through appearances on publicly broadcast events and widely-shared video recordings..

Our charity's purposes also included the promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit with particular reference to the LGBTQ+ community. This season we paid for professional development for several of our key members to improve their awareness of trans experiences and best practices for inclusion. We also raised awareness of the lived experience of queer composers through our concert programming, particularly through our Pride concert at the Wigmore Hall, in which we shared biographical information about the featured composers in our concert programme, and our Beloved Man concert in Norfolk, which featured intimate and insightful details of the lives of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.

Our work this year has also supported other charities including the Royal British Legion, African Rainbow Family and Maggie’s Cancer Care, for whom our singers participated in a Christmas carol singing fundraiser.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governance

The Fourth Choir was constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 22 April 2014; before that date, the choir existed as a non-registered body established on 1 September 2013. The accounts for the tenth period of trading of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation commence on 01 September 2022 and run until 31 August 2023.

The trustees who have served during the period and since commencement are set out on page 1. None of the trustees, nor any person connected to them, has received any paid remuneration from the Charity in the period to 31 August 2023.

The power to appoint trustees is vested in existing trustees. Apart from the first Charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Charity trustees. All major decisions, including those of a financial nature, are made by the Board of Trustees at their meetings.

Method of Election of Trustees

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Trustees are appointed through the unanimous voting of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is made up of choir members who demonstrate the commitment and ability to contribute valuable skills towards the running of the choir. Trustees are appointed for 3 years. The first trustees were appointed for 2, 3 and 4 years to ensure continuity of leadership.

The key skills covered by the trustees include: financial management and planning; day to day running of the choir, including rehearsals, membership and communications; events planning and external liaison; events management and supervision; fund raising; and secretarial roles.

Finance

The attached financial statements show the current state of the Choir’s finances which the committee considers to be sound.

Reserves

The Board of Trustees has determined a rolling policy of reserve maintenance, with a target of £7,000 to be held as a rapidly available credit balance in the principal choir bank account. This reserve exists to provide financial stability and mitigate against any unexpected expenses, and is developed through the setting of clear budgetary targets at the beginning of the year and meeting regularly to review performance.

Future Plans

For the 2023/24 season the Board of Trustees plans to continue to build on the achievements of the choir’s first ten years by:

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The Fourth Choir

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the Period 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023

Declaration

We declare in our capacity as trustees that the Trustees have approved this report and that we have been authorised to sign.

Signature Signature Full Name Full Name Position Position Date Date

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The Fourth Choir Stitement of Asscts ind liabilities at the end of the ye•r- contxnued No donation5 were made in the year. Emoluments of Trust¢¢s No emoluments were re¢eiv¢d by the Trustees in their capacity a5 Trustees. There wer¢ no other emoluinents or expenses paid to any charity Trustees or person connected wiÉh such a Trustee dire¢tly or indire¢ily from the funds of the chariry. ReimbuTsement of Trustee5 Expenses paid in the period in th¢ nomial ¢ourse of the work of the eharity. Sophia Allen Finn S¢hulze-Feldmann Sarah De Winter £1,103 £2,187 £543 Travel costs Brochure5. leaflet5. flower5. equipment Travel costs, equipment The Trustees confirn?, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisaiions (Gen¢ral) Regulations 2012. that at y¢ar end the Charitable Incorporated OFgAni5atiott did not have any outstanding guarante¢s to third parties nor any debts secured on as5et5 of the Charitable Incorporated Organisalion. Trustee Donations The ch8rtty re¢¢iv¢d a toial of £480 donations from trustees in thc year {2022.. £1,230). 10. Related PArty TrAn5Acfions There are no related party transactions