GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON
Charity Number: 1162894
Board of Trustees Annual Report 2023
Content and Purpose of Annual Report
This report summarises the work of the Board of Trustees of the German Choir of London (“the Choir”), including changes to the Board and key achievements. It serves to inform all associate members of the Choir of the work going on ‘behind the scenes’ to create transparency and a sense of ownership. The summary is based on the minutes kept of all Trustee meetings. Any associate member can request to view the meeting minutes (written in English) by emailing any Trustee at any time. Associate members are also permitted to attend the Board Meetings upon request. This is the 8th summary report since the registration of the Choir as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2015.
Period covered Author January – December 2023 Elisabeth Minkner
Content
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Main choir events in the reporting period
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Changes to the Board of Trustees in the reporting period
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Summary of the activities of the Board of Trustees in the reporting period
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Summary of the Annual General Meeting of Associate Members
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Financial Summary
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Acknowledgements
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Upcoming concerts and events currently planned for 2024
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1. Main choir events in the reporting period
18 March 2023 – Coronation Concert at St Pancras Church London
22 April 2023 – Coronation Concert at St Mathias Berlin
21 May 2023 – Service at Christuskirche Knightsbridge
28 May 2023 – Choral Evensong at St Albans
16 July 2023 – A Grand Night for Singing at Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate
18 September 2023 – Tag der deutschen Einheit at German Embassy London
25 September 2023 – Choral Evensong at St Pauls
18 November 2023 – Come and Sing Day at St Boniface German Catholic Church East London (Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium)
- 5 December 2023 – Deutsche Handelskammer Christmas Party
10 December 2023 – Bach Weihnachtsoratorium at St Lawrence Jewry London
12 December 2023 – AGM
2. The Board of Trustees in the reporting period
Christian Anders - location manager
Rebecca Dittrich – communication, new members
Dagmar Gauweiler – events
Rev Stephen Robert Alexander Jullien (appointed 1 August 2023) - marketing, concert programmes Richard Loeser – treasurer
Elisabeth Minkner – annual report, minutes, newsletters, deputy treasurer Susanne Thiele - (resigned August 2023)
3. Summary of Trustee work in the reporting period
Trustee Meetings in 2023 (Online unless stated otherwise):
9 January 10 August 4 April 27 September 22 May 23 November 26 June
Social Media activity focussed on news, upcoming concerts & events, social happenings (holidays, get togethers) 2023 posts: #MeetTheChoir #DCLSocial #DCLSolo #JoinAChoir
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4. Summary of the Annual General Meeting of Associate Members
12 December 2023, 19.30 Christuskirche Knightsbridge
Full General Meeting of Associate Members (AGM) was held on 12 December 2023 to conclude the year 2023. The AGM was attended by 34 Associate Members. The choir approved the work of the Trustees and the new member of the Board, elected section leaders for 2024, and discussed a number of ideas relating to rehearsals and the running of the choir. Minutes of this meeting are available.
The main agenda items were:
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Update by Trustees (see above section 3)
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Update by the Musical Director (see above section 1 and below section 7)
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Election of section leaders (see below)
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Approval of Board of Trustees
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Questions by and discussion with choir members
Section leaders were elected as follows:
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Soprano: 1.Margarethe Falk 2.Nathalie Nötzold
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Alto: 1. Susanne Thiele, 2. Claudie Baum
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Tenor: 1. Felix Richter, 2.James Saunders
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Bass: 1. Michael Erras, 2. Ben Krueger
Approval of Board of Trustees by members and updates:
All trustees were approved and (re-)elected. See section 2 above for details.
5. Financial Summary for the year 2023
Please see separate accounts at the end of this report for details
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Receipts in the year were £20,041, of which £11,250 associate membership fees, £8,250 ticket sales income and interest income of £230.
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Payments in the year were £26,609, of which £13,667 fees for the Musical Director, £480 fees for other conductors, £9,213 instrumentalist and soloist hire fees, £2,028 venue hire fee and £1,221 other concert and marketing expenses.
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In 2023 there was no increase in the associate membership fee, which thus was held at £20 per month (£10 discount for students and singers without regular income).
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In 2023 payments exceeded receipts by £6,568. At the end of the prior year 2022 the choir had £18,343 of funds. At the end of 2023 the choir had funds of £11,775.
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During the year the choir had approximately 50 active fee paying members.
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Solo ensemble, section and voice coaching rehearsals will continue to be financed by the whole choir as these contribute to the quality of the choir as a whole.
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6. Acknowledgements
Aside from the Trustees, several associate members have significantly contributed to the development of the choir during 2023 as volunteers which we wish to acknowledge:
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Margarete Falk: prepares the attendance register and reviews attendance/preparing kids
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Uta Bergner-Sington: responsible for ordering the music for the choir and providing midi files which help the members rehearsing at home
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Julia Jennings/Jenny Eckner/Charlotte McDonough/ Jeremias Reich/ Susanne Thiele/ Evy Tang/ Sasha Marius-Beeko/ Lukas Beck: social media posts
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Nathalie Nötzold/ Amadea Heitman: emailing education institutes for recruitment
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Christoph Gräfe: website and programme support
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Margarete Falk /Nathalie Nötzold: section leaders soprano
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Charlotte MacDonald / Renate Kemp: section leaders alto
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Richard Loeser: section leaders tenor
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Michael Erras/Ben Krueger: section leaders bass
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Michael Erras: Independent review of the accounts
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Uta, Dagmar, Elisabeth, Steve: prepare come and sing day
7. Upcoming concerts and events currently planned for 2024
Spring Concerts - Concert with the theme ‘peace’
25 April - London
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4 May - Barcelona: Basilica de la Sagrada Família
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5 May – Barcelona : Basílica de los Santos Mártires Justo y Pastor
21 July – Summer Concert
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1 October – Tag der Deutschen Einheit
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6 October – Service Christuskirche
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4 November – St Paul’s Evensong
December – Christmas & International Carol concert, Carol Service
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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON (CHARITY NUMBER 1162894)
Accounts For the year ended 31 December 2023
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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON
Receipts and Payments Account
for the year ended 31 December 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Receipts | ||
| Member subscriptions | 11,250 | 13,204 |
| General donations | 311 | 302 |
| Grant income | 0 | 14,000 |
| Concert ticket sales | 8,250 | 10,686 |
| Interest income | 230 | 21 |
| Total receipts | 20,041 | 38,213 |
| Payments | ||
| Conductors fees & rehearsals | 14,147 | 17,380 |
| Venue hire | 2,028 | 8,130 |
| Instrumentalists & soloists | 9,213 | 24,901 |
| Marketing,event & other expenses | 1,221 | 5,112 |
| Accountancyfees | 0 | 960 |
| Totalpayments | 26,609 | 56,483 |
| (Shortfall)of receipts overpayments | (6,568) | (18,270) |
| Unrestricted fund: | ||
| At 1 January | 18,343 | 36,613 |
| (Shortfall)/surplus of receipts overpayments | (6,568) | (18,270) |
| At 31 December | 11,775 | 18,343 |
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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON Balance Sheet As at 31 December
| Notes £ Current assets Cash at bank and in hand 11,775 Net current assets Net assets Unrestricted fund: Fund balance 2 Total funds |
2023 £ £ 18,343 11,777 11,775 11,775 11,775 |
2022 £ 18,343 |
|---|---|---|
| 18,343 | ||
| 18,343 | ||
| 18,343 |
Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature:
Print name: RICHARD LOESER
Date: 30 October 2024
Signature:
Print name: ELISABETH MINKNER
Date: 30 October 2024
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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON
Notes to the Accounts
For the year ended 31 December 2023
1 Accounting policies
- Basis of preparation
The Accounts are drawn up on a cash basis.
2 Unrestricted fund
| At 1 January Shortfall of receipts over payments At 31 December |
2023 £ 18,343 (6,568) |
|---|---|
| 11,775 |
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