2024-12-31-accounts

GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON

Charity Number: 1162894

Board of Trustees Annual Report 2024

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 9th summary report since the registration of the Choir as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2015.

Period covered

Author

January – December 2024 Stephen Jullien (Chair of Trustees)

Content

1. Main choir events in the reporting period

2. Changes to the Board of Trustees in the reporting period

3. Summary of the activities of the Board of Trustees in the reporting period

4. Summary of the Annual General Meeting of Associate Members

5. Financial Summary

6. Acknowledgements

7. Upcoming concerts and events currently planned for 2025

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1. Main choir events in the reporting period

• February: Singing in Thomaskirche, Leipzig

• March: Solo Ensembles at Somerset House

• April: Concert in London for Peace with works by Bach and a premiere of a Christopher Fox piece

• May: tour to Barcelona including singing at the Sagrada Familia international mass

• July: ‘Food’ concert at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate

• October: Day of Germany Unity

• November: Evensong in St. Pauls, Come & Sing, German Army performance

• December: British German Economic Chamber, International carols/ Saint Saens

• concert, Carols by candlelight service

2. The Board of Trustees in the reporting period

• Stephen Jullien- Chair

• Christian Anders - Location manager (resigned December 2024)

• Rebecca Dittrich - Co-chair

• Dagmar Gauweiler – Events

• Richard Loeser – Treasurer

• Elisabeth Minkner – Minutes secretary, deputy treasurer (resigned December 2024)

• James Saunders- Fundraising (appointed December 2024)

3. Summary of Trustee work in the reporting period

Trustee Meetings in 2024 (Online unless stated otherwise):

• 15th January

• 11th March

• 15th April

• 17th June

• 18th November

Marketing and Recruitment

• The chair oversaw external communications which focused largely on social media, reaching up

• to 4,000 people on selected posts. Four posts were boosted to aid recruitment

• Physical flyers were also distributed to promote both concerts and choir recruitment

• The website was updated, including a video explaining the audition process

Membership

• Following a freeze on membership fees since before the pandemic, the board voted to increase membership fees for 2025 by 20% to account for inflation over that period

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4. Summary of the Annual General Meeting of Associate Members

Tuesday, 17 December 2024, 7pm, Christuskirche, Knightsbridge

Full General Meeting of Associate Members (AGM) was held on 17 December 2024 to conclude the year 2024. The AGM was attended by 25 Associate Members. The choir approved the work of the Trustees and the new member of the Board, elected section leaders for 2025, 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:

• Musical Summary (see above section 1)

• Marketing Summary (see above section 3)

• Financial Summary (see below section 5)

• Plans for 2025 (see below section 7)

• Questions and Feedback from Associate Members

• Section Leader Elections

• The Following were elected:

  • Soprano: Christina Schuetz, Dagmar Gauweiler

  • Alto: Susanne Thiele, Elisabeth Minkner

  • Tenor: Felix Richter, Sigrun Wagner

  • Bass: Michael Erras, Ben Krueger

• Acknowledgments (see below section 6)

• Approval of Trustees and Updates (see above section 2)

5. Financial Summary for the year 2024

Please see separate accounts at the end of this report for details

• Receipts in the year were £17,775, of which £11,504 associate/membership fees, £4,113 ticket sales income and interest income of £242.

• Payments in the year were £18,026.50, of which £12,479.70 fees for the Musical Director, £2,630 instrumentalist and soloist hire fees, £500 venue hire fee and £1,260.01 other concert and marketing expenses.

• In 2024 there was an increase in the associate membership fee to £24 per month (£12 discount

• for students and singers without regular income).

• In 2024 payments exceeded receipts by £251.76. At the end of the prior year 2023 the choir had

• £11,775 of funds. At the end of 2024 the choir had funds of £11,523.54.

• During the year the choir had approximately 50 active fee paying members.

• Solo ensembles, 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 DCL members have significantly contributed to the development of the choir during 2024 as volunteers which we wish to acknowledge:

• Attendance book: Margarete Falk

• Ordering music and providing Midi files: Uta Bergner-Sington

• Social Media Team: Margarete Falk, Selin Sevgi, Julia Jennings, Sasha Marius-Beeko and Charlotte McDonough. Previous helpers until mid year: Jenny Eckner, Lukas Beck and Charlotte de Mille

• Website support: Andrew Mackintosh

• Legal advice: Christina Schuetz and Philipp Gnatzy

• Solo concert organisation: Charlotte de Mille

• Prepare come and sing day: Uta Bergner-Sington

• Lights for carol service: Melanie Allmendiger

• Auditing accounts: Michael Erras

7. Upcoming concerts and events currently planned for 2025

• Closer cooperation with the Christuskirche with Services on 16 March (Soloensembles), 20 April and 4 May

● Concert at Southwark Cathedral on 9 May

• Europe Day

○ 3-4 choirs participating; DCL repertoire lasting 20-25 minutes

• Spring concert (May): small concert acapella of Romantic Music (Brahms, Herzogenberg, Rheinberger)

• Summer project : combine German choir with Winchester City Festival Choir; rehearsing same repertoire and performing together; 3 Evensongs spread over the summer in cathedrals between London & Winchester

• Autumn (October): Bonhoeffer & family focus; project will tell the story of Bonhoeffer’s mother with musical basis of Stabat mater; no soloists with 1 actor and choir members acting; proposal to go to cathedrals in North England

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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON

(CHARITY NUMBER 1162894)

Accounts

For the year ended

31 December 2024

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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON

Receipts and Payments Account

• for the year ended 31 December 2024

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GERMAN CHOIR OF LONDON

Balance Sheet

As at 31 December

Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

Signature:

Print name: RICHARD LOESER

Date: 30 October 2025

Signature:

Print name: JAMES SAUNDERS

Date: 30 October 2025

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