GLOUCESTER CHORAL SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 1168137
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 30 June 2025
Charity number: 1168137
GLOUCESTER CHORAL SOCIETY
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 June 2025
Trustees in office during the period:
Jennifer Bury Concerts Manager Richard Clutterbuck Ordinary Member Helen Colson Ordinary Member Simon Draper Secretary Mary Gellhorn Ordinary Member Michael Hurst Treasurer Eleanor Kercher Chair Robert Riley Vice Chair Gerard Walshe Marketing Manager Kate Whitson Contracts Manager
Principal Address:
42 Meadoway Bishop’s Cleeve Glos. GL52 8NB.
Charitable Status: Gloucester Choral Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Objectives and Activities
The objects of the Society are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the Trustees see fit. These objectives have not changed during the year.
Public Benefit Statement
The Trustees have reviewed the public benefit nature of the Society and consider it meets the requirements of the Charities Act. In particular, the Society presents concerts, talks and workshops which are open to all and which inspire its audiences and benefit the community as a whole. Particular attention is given to engaging and involving the interest of young people as members of the audience. The Society offers reduced price tickets to its concerts for school children, students and under-25s.
As reported previously, the Choral Apprentice scheme (for students aged between 14 and 18) was put on hold as a result of Covid-19. Sadly, following several attempts to find volunteers to take this scheme forward, there are insufficient volunteers to manage the scheme and the Trustees have agreed to put this on hold indefinitely unless sufficient numbers of volunteers come forward. Given the challenges in operating this scheme, the
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Trustees have been considering alternative ways to encourage younger people generally to join the Society and is intending to concentrate its efforts on those aged 18 years and older but under 25-30 years old, with membership being free for those aged under 25.
The Society engages artists and ensembles of the highest international standards and supplies a crucial part of the musical provision at Gloucester Cathedral, where most of its concerts are performed. Tours overseas are organised periodically, with the opportunity to perform choral works by British composers to audiences who may be less familiar with the music. These tours are fully funded by the touring members.
Review of the Year
During the year under review, the Society promoted the following concerts:
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Jongen’s Mass and motets by Bruckner and Gabrieli on 9 November 2024.
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Handel’s Messiah on 30 November 2024.
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Carols for All on 26 December 2024. This was a free concert with a charity collection; in 2024 we collected for SHARP Life & Learning Skills, a local charity providing an education and day service for people with special needs.
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Verdi’s Requiem on 29 March 2025.
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Parry’s Songs of Farewell, Rheinberger’s Mass, Hepplewhite’s Leaving (world premiere) and Bach motets on 10 May 2025.
Hire the Choir bookings have been put on hold since October 2022 as no volunteers have been found to administer the scheme.
Financial Review
The Society benefitted from a surplus of £8,930 during the period, raising reserves (all unrestricted) to £45,321 as at 30 June 2025. Continuing disappointing ticket revenue was offset by reduced spending on orchestras and by a successful relaunch of a benefactors’ scheme.
The Society’s policy “… to progressively build up reserves to around £50k, which sum represents about half of typical turnover” has nearly been achieved, but the Trustees will continue to keep tight control over expenditure on employing orchestras for the time being, this being the main avoidable cost.
The Trustees regularly review the Society’s reserves policy, and assess the principal risks associated with the promotion of its concerts and other activities.
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Charity number: 1168137
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Structure, Governance and Management
Trustees are normally elected from within the membership of the Society at the Annual General Meeting for a period of one year, but may stand for re-election. Skills audits are conducted periodically across the membership to identify specific experience which might prove useful and beneficial for the Society.
The constitution also enables non-singing members from outside the choir to be appointed as Trustees, who can thereby broaden the breadth of expertise available to the Society as a whole.
The Trustees will ensure that any external Trustees appointed in this manner will be suitably and appropriately qualified.
If Trustees are required to work with the Society’s Choral Apprentices group, statutory DBS checks are carried out in accordance with the Society’s Child Protection Policy. The Society has no employees. It engages the services of its Musical Director and Accompanist, and such other artists, ensembles and orchestras as may be needed to fulfil its annual concert programme.
The Society is managed by, and administered through, the Trustees who are elected annually. The Trustees are supported in this work by Committees as set down in the following chart:
GCS Structure Chart 2024-2025
Each of the Committees is chaired or vice-chaired by an elected Trustee. Membership of the Committees comprises members of the Society with particular interests or expertise, who provide their time voluntarily and without remuneration. The Trustees are dependent on the input from these members, and wish to record their gratitude for their invaluable and continuing contribution to the Society’s achievements.
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Following the 2022-23 AGM it was agreed that the constitution of GCS should be reviewed by the Trustees. This work is currently in progress.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Signed .......Eleanor Kercher..............................
Dated ................5 January 2026.....................
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