## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR**
## **COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**31 JULY 2025**
**REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 1164955**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR**
## **COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **CONTENTS**
|Charity Information|1|
|---|---|
|Trustees' Report|2 to 4|
|Independent Examiner's Report|5|
|Statement of Financial Activities|6|
|Balalance Sheet|7|
|Notes forming part of the financial statements|8 to 11|
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR**
## **31 JULY 2025**
**REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER** 1164955 **PATRONS** Lady Brewer OBE Humphrey Burton CBE Lord Chartres GCVO PC **TRUSTEES** D G Mansfield - Chairman J J Robinson - General Manager C L Clark M S St. G Hill C T Matthews C Rayson A P Thompson J Withington **MUSICAL DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL** Daniel Hyde **CONDUCTOR PRINCIPAL ADDRESS** 20 Highclere Road New Malden KT3 3HJ Royal Bank of Scotland plc 4th Floor1 1st Hardman Boulevard Manchester M3 3AQ **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER** Jonathan Chartres, FCA **WEBSITE** www.cityoflondonchoir.org
**1**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
The Trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st July 2025.
## **Charitable Incorporated Organisation**
These accounts are prepared for full year including the combined results of the Charity and its wholly owned subsidiary, CLC Orchestral Promotions Limited.
## **Constitution and Objects**
The Charity governing document is its Constitution which was last amended on 30 November 2015.
The objects of the CIO are to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in the education in the application of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects by the presentation of public choral concerts and by such other ways as the trustees shall determine from time to time primarily in and around the City of London.
In pursuing such objects the City of London Choir aims to provide exciting musical experiences for members and audiences. In particular, it seeks to:
- 1) Encourage amateur singers, especially those based in the City, to develop their musical expertise and enjoy singing together;
- 2) Provide increased opportunities for audiences to hear both established and less well-known works;
- 3) Demonstrate that music of the highest quality can be achieved by amateurs and professionals working together;
4) Celebrate and share the fun of music-making and to encourage more people to experience choral music, whatever their age, background or previous musical interest; and
- 5) Support charities and worthy causes.
## **Development, Activities and Achievements**
The City of London Choir is busy and versatile, regularly performing in ensembles from 20 singers to its full strength of around 140 subscription-paying members. The choir promotes its own concerts in London’s finest concert halls several times a year, with leading professional orchestras, instrumentalists and soloists. Performances for a variety of other promoters earn the choir fees which help to subsidise its own promotions.
The choir is committed to creating opportunities for children and young people both to perform and to attend concerts, notably through its Young Apprentice Bass and Tenor Scheme. This aims to foster and encourage new young choral tenors and basses from London schools with bursaries.
2024-25 saw the start of a new era, being the CLC’s first season with Daniel Hyde as Musical Director. During the season, the choir promoted (or co-promoted) four concerts and took part in several others by invitation.
The first concert of the season was the Mozart Requiem (plus Beethoven’s Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt) with Daniel Hyde conducting the RPO at Cadogan Hall, at the orchestra’s invitation. A timely further invitation from RG Live gave the choir a second outing of the Mozart Requiem, at the Royal Festival Hall in January with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Lee Reynolds. Both these performances were resounding successes and gave the choir a chance to sing a much-loved work to an enthusiastic capacity audience.
**2**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
The choir had two own-promotions in December. At Cadogan Hall, it gave a concert with the Britten Sinfonia including Britten’s Ceremony of Carols (arranged for SATB voices) and Christmas works by Finzi, Ireland and Vaughan Williams. It was supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation. MusicOMH gave this concert a five star review: "A perfect start to the round of 2024’s Christmas themed concerts.... City of London Choir acquired a new director this year in the form of Daniel Hyde... CLC seem to have a new spring in their step, as Wednesday evening’s concert was the best I have ever heard them sing. Co-ordination was absolutely spot-on throughout; balance was immaculate, and Hyde coaxed some splendid dynamic subtleties out of them, as well as some deliciously warm homogenous timbres (a good quantity of which this repertoire demands).” Of Finzi’s In Terra Pax: “CLC and the orchestra brought all of their skill to the work, turning in a peerless performance full of subtle fervour and carefully controlled timbres.”
On the 21st December, the choir promoted a carol concert for the first time at St Giles Cripplegate, with Paul Greally at the organ and piano and plenty of audience participation. It attracted a big family audience and sold out.
In March, the CLC undertook one of its most ambitious own-promotions to date, in the Royal Festival Hall for the first time. Daniel Hyde conducted the CLC alongside the Choir of King’s College Cambridge and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a thrilling performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius.
In June, the choir had its never-to-be-forgotten debut performance in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, alongside the King’s Men and the BBC Concert Orchestra with Daniel Hyde conducting a performance of Verdi’s Requiem. The concert was recorded for broadcast ‘as live’ by Radio 3. Its fourth and final promotion of the year was a second performance of the same piece in the new version by Richard Blackford for two pianos, organ and timpani, performed with pianists Iain Farrington and Libby Burgess, organist Paul Greally and percussionist Tristan Fry. This was the closing concert of Summer Music in City Churches at St Giles Cripplegate; the arranger himself was present and joined in a standing ovation.
In addition to those already mentioned, fee-paying external engagements during the season included: a performance of Holst’s Planets for RG Live at the Royal Festival Hall; the world premiere of the Lim Cosmic Rhapsody, plus another performance of The Planets, with the RPO and Robert Ziegler at the Barbican; and, as part of Summer Music in City Churches, Fauré’s Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sir John Rutter (in his 80th year).
The Choir is a member of Making Music.
## **Reserves Policy**
The Choir needs to hold reserves for a number of reasons: to provide a cushion against losses in the course of a year, to enable it to commit to expenditure up to a year ahead and to give it flexibility in its long term planning. The Choir's policy is to hold a level of reserves that is broadly equivalent to between one and one and a half year's worth of planned future expenditure.
**3**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **Trustees' responsibilities in relation to the financial statements**
We choose under the constitution of the Charity to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of its financial activities for the period. In preparing these financial statements we:
- 1) select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- 2) make reasonable and prudent judgements and estimates; and
- 3) prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasoanble accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. The are also for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and deletion of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf:
**Date:**
**D G Mansfield, Chairman**
**4**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the City of London Choir**
I report to the Trustees of the City of London Choir on my examination of the combined accounts of the Group, comprising the City of London Choir and its subsidiary CLC Orchestral Promotions Limited, for the year ended 31 July 2025 set out on pages 6 to 11.
## **Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and the Independent Examiner**
As the Trustees and the City of London Choir you are responsible for the preparation of accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the 2011 Act") and you have chosen to prepare combined accounts for the Group. You are satisfied that the accounts of bith the City of London Choir and t he Group are not required by charity law to be audited and you can chosen instead to have an independent examination.
My responsibility is to report to you on my examination of the combined accounts. I have carried out my examination under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In so doing I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Basis of the Independent Examiner's Report**
An Independent Examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. An Independent Examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently it does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving an opinion on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance that an Independent Examination can provide. Consequently, I express no opinion as to whether the consolidated accounts present a 'true and fair view' and my report is limited to those specific matters set out in the Independent Examiner's Statement below.
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gave me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
- 1) accounting records, with respect to the City of London Choir, were not kept as required by Section 130 of the 2011 Act and, with respect to its subsidiary, were not kept as required by Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; or
- 2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- 3) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I confirm that there are no other matters to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Jon Chartres, FCA Independent Examiner**
**Signed: Date:**
20/02/2026
**5**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR COMBINED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
|**Notes**
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
Subscriptions and Gft Aid
Friends
Concert income
**3**
Performance and other fees
**9**
Music hire and resale
Sales of CDs
**10**
Donations
Sale of folders
Fund Raising
**11**
Tenor Bursary Scheme
Interest
**Total Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
Rehearsal expenses
Making Music & Insurance
Concert expenses
**3**
Music hire and resale
Singing day
Concert Management
Cost of folders sold
Audition costs
Recording & CD expenses
**9**
Tenor Bursary Scheme expenses
Performance Fees
Professional fees
Bank Charges
Committee expenses
Vocal Coach
Sundry Expenses
**Total resources expended**
**NET MOVEMENT OF FUNDS FOR THE YEAR**
**TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD**
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|**FUND**
**FUND**
**2025 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**UNRESTRICTED**
**RESTRICTED**
**FUNDS**
**2024 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**TOTAL**
**FUNDS**
**TOTAL**
90,033
-
90,033
39,232
15,025
-
15,025
4,661
39,703
-
39,703
32,011
1,950
-
1,950
2,000
7,914
-
7,914
5,770
10
-
10
10
800
-
800
450
399
-
399
492
-
2,948
16,000
16,000
-
10,000
10,000
1,000
4,181
-
4,181
4,466|
|---|---|
||**176,015**
**10,000**
**186,015**
**93,040**|
||23,015
-
23,015
15,780
811
-
811
675
7,571
-
7,571
5,427
75,199
-
75,199
41,244
1,072
1,072
30,000
-
30,000
3,600
800
-
800
450
-
-
-
-
-
800
299
-
299
205
5,028
-
5,028
693
-
-
-
430
-
1,070
1,070
385
213
-
213
2,461
2,452
-
2,452
2,696
601
-
601
673
-
673
-|
||**147,732**
**1,070**
**148,802**
**74,846**|
||**28,283**
**8,930**
**37,213**
**18,194**|
||**124,538**
**2,315**
**126,853**
**108,659**|
|||
||**152,821**
**11,245**
**164,066**
**126,853**|
There are no recognised gains and losses in 2025 and 2024 other than those included in the Statement of Financial Activities
**6**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR COMBINED BALANCE SHEET AT 31 JULY 2025**
|**Notes**
**FIXED ASSETS**
Fixtures & Fittings
**4**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Stocks
**5**
Debtors
**6**
Cash at bank and in hand
**8**
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one years
**7**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**FUNDS**
Unrestricted Funds
Restriced Funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|1,059
**2025 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
**UNRESTRICTED**
**RESTRICTED**
**TOTAL**
**TOTAL**
**FUND**
**FUND**
**FUNDS**
**FUNDS**
-
1,059
-|1,059
**2025 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
**UNRESTRICTED**
**RESTRICTED**
**TOTAL**
**TOTAL**
**FUND**
**FUND**
**FUNDS**
**FUNDS**
-
1,059
-|
|---|---|---|
||**1,059**
**-**|**1,059**
**-**|
||1,061
18,459
134,719
-
-
11,245|1,061
18,459
145,964
845
27,025
100,587|
||**154,238**
**11,245**|**165,483**
**128,457**|
||(2,476)
-||
|||(2,476)
(1,604)|
||**151,762**
**11,245**|**163,007**
**126,853**|
||||
||**152,821**
**11,245**|**164,066**
**126,853**|
||152,821
-
11,245
-|11,245
2,315
124,538
152,821|
||**11,245**
**152,821**|**164,066**
**126,853**|
The financial statements on pages 6 to 11 were approved by the trustees on _________________ and signed on its behalf by:
**D G Mansfield Chairman**
This balance sheet should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes to the financial statements.
**7**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR NOTES TO THE COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31 JULY 2025**
## **1. Accounting Policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) revised in October 2019; the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom (FRS 102) and with the Charities Act 2011.
## **Fund Accounting**
The Charity's Unrestricted Funds consist of general funds which the Charity may use for its purposes at its discretion.
Restricted Funds are those where the donor has imposed restrictions on the use of the funds.
Income arising on restricted funds and expenditure incurred in respect of these funds are reflected through the Statement of Financial Activities with any surpluses or deficits being appropriated to/from restricted funds.
## **Stocks**
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value.
## **Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation**
## **Capitalisation Policy**
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Individual items with a purchase price exceeding £1,000 are capitalised. Expenditure on items below this threshold, or representing the replacement of existing components, is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) as incurred.
## **Depreciation**
Depreciation is provided to write off the cost of tangible fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic lives and is charged on straight-line method over a period of 5 years (20% per anumm).
In accordance with the charity’s accounting policy, no depreciation is charged in the year of acquisition. A full year’s depreciation is charged in the year of disposal.
## **2. Income**
Voluntary income and donations are accounted for as received by the Charity.
|**3. Concert Account**
--- Cadogan Hall (Mozart)
--- Cadogan Hall (Xmas)
--- St. Giles (Xmas)
--- RFH Elgar
--- St. Giles (Verdi)|**Income**
**Expenditure**
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
3,433
6,453
(3,020)
(5,614)
4,771
4,611
160
-
9,006
3,836
5,170
(2,105)
52,369
38,746
13,623
-
20,455
21,552
(1,097)
5,708|
|---|---|
||**90,033**
**75,199**
**14,834**
**(2,011)**|
**8**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR NOTES TO THE COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31 JULY 2025**
## **4. Tangible Fixed Assets**
|**Cost**
At 1st August 2024
Additions
Disposals
At 31st July 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1st August 2024
Charge for the Year
Elimination on disposal
At 31st July 2025
**Net book amount**
**At 31st July 2025**
**At 31st July 2024**
**5. Stocks**
--- Folders held for resale
--- Music held for resale
**6. Debtors**
**Amounts falling due within one year:**
--- H M Revenue & Customs
--- Concert Account|**£**
**£**
-
-
1,059
1,059
**Fixtures & Fittings**
**Total**
-
-|
|---|---|
||**1,059**
**1,059**|
||-
-
-
-
-
-|
||-
-|
|||
||**1,059**
**1,059**|
|||
||-
-|
||**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
423
207
638
638|
||**1,061**
**845**|
||**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
11,793
14,077
6,666
12,948|
||**18,459**
**27,025**|
**9**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR NOTES TO THE COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31 JULY 2025**
|**7. Creditors**
**Amounts falling due within one year:**
--- Concert Account
--- Other Creditors
**8. Cash at bank and in hand**
--- CCLA Deposit Account
--- Metro Bank Accounts
--- RBS Current Account
--- RBS Reserve Account
**9. Performance and other fees**
**Net surplus per engagement:**
--- Raymond Gubbay Ltd
--- Kings College
--- BBC Home Services
--- RPO
--- The Carers' Trust
**10. Recording & CD account**
Income
Expenditure
Net Income/(cost)
**11. Fund raising**
Easy Fund Raising
Royalties|2,476
1,572
-
32
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**|
|---|---|
||**2,476**
**1,604**|
||14,198
1,626
20,594
11,511
20,515
838
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
90,657
86,612|
||**145,964**
**100,587**|
||1,901
-
910
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
5,000
700
-
-
3,275
1,850
6,050|
||**15,025**
**4,661**|
||-
(430)
**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
10
10|
||**10**
**(420)**|
||**2025 (£)**
**2024 (£)**
207
242
192
250|
||**399**
**492**|
**10**
## **CITY OF LONDON CHOIR NOTES TO THE COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31 JULY 2025**
## **12. Trustee remuneration and benefits**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
## **Trustees' Expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
## **13. Related Party Disclosure**
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
**11**