Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
A) Reference & Administration details
Charity Name: The West Gallery Music Association
Other names the charity is known by: WGMA, West Gallery Music Association Registered Charity No. 1171664
Charity's principal address: 4 Grove Road, Shawford, Winchester, SO21 2DD Trustees
| Trustee name | Office if any | Dates acted if not whole year |
Name of person or body entitled to appoint trustee, if any |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey, Mike | Chairman | Trustees, AGM | |
| Flockton, Heather | Newsletter Editor | Trustees, AGM | |
| John, Pete | Secretary | Trustees, AGM | |
| Patten, Jacqueline | Data Control Officer | Trustees, AGM | |
| Percival, Richard | Treasurer | Trustees, AGM | |
| Seymour, Jean | Membershipsecretary | Trustees, AGM | |
| Wilson-Smith, Mike | Information Technologist | Trustees, AGM |
B) Structure, Governance & Management
Type of governing document: Constitution (PDF available on www.wgma.org.uk )
How the charity is constituted: Charitable Incorporated Organisation with voting members other than the trustees.
Trustee selection methods (Constitution Section 13): Trustees are appointed by the members or the
trustees. One third stand down each year in rotation.
The Constitution was amended in November 2019, changing the quorum at general meetings from 10% to 5% of the membership.
C) Objectives & Activities
Summary of objectives (extract from Constitution)
The advancement of education and the promotion of the arts in particular by:
-
promoting, sustaining, and increasing individual and collective knowledge and understanding of, the sacred and secular music and song of Britain and its colonies, with particular reference to what has become known as West Gallery music ...
-
advancing the education of the public in the sacred and secular music and song of West Gallery and allied traditions and their social and historical context in Britain and its colonies; and
WGMA 28 July 2023
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Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
- supporting and encouraging a revival of interest in West Gallery music both nationally and internationally.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
The trustees having had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit, and following freedom from Covid restraints, members of the WGMA returned enthusiastically to rehearsals of regional choirs, group singing events, live concerts and workshops.
A regional weekend event early in the year had to be cancelled as uncertainty during the last quarter of 2021 made the financial commitment too big a risk.
Sadly, a few choirs did not recover from the long lay-off and have ceased to meet.
Regular online Zoom events continued fortnightly rather than weekly, with attendances around 20, including members and friends.
Five new performances were recorded, and together with other historical recordings, a total of 17 were published on the WGMA web site. These recordings are freely available to the public and are indexed for searching.
Events were publicised in the quarterly newsletter, on the WGMA web site, and by email. Reports of events were often included in the newsletter.
A few research reports and other editorial articles were included in the newsletter.
Publications including music CDs, music anthologies and text books are available through the web site.
Legacy Policies in effect, formally adopted 12 Jan 2018
Policy 140723 Grants to assist funding of workshops ( PDF on www.wgma.org.uk )
Policy 120801 Grants to assist attendance at WGMA events ( PDF on www.wgma.org.uk )
140616 Terms of Reference Research subcommittee
120613 WGMA Job Specification – Music Director ( PDF on www.wgma.org.uk )
D) Significant events, Achievements & Performance
The trustees congratulate the many members who contrived to spread the knowledge and enjoyment of West Gallery music.
Live events
About 50 members and friends went to Sidmouth for the Folk Festival from July 29[th] to August 5[th] . We presented our music to the public in a preview concert, and each day in workshops and on the Esplanade.
Zoom
Zooms continued fortnightly, with smaller numbers, but clearly meeting a need. Some new people joined. Many who stopped did so only because they were active again with their own choirs.
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Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
“With Cheerful Voice”
This is the name Phil Price has given to the continuing programme of live events and online projects which began as “Virtual Hymns” during 2021. During the year two live singing events and 5 online projects included a significant amount of West Gallery music together with later hymns. This “hybrid” approach will continue. All activities are open to the public.
Quire activity during 2022
Pete John requested feedback from choir contacts. Returns were received from all local quires, with two exceptions, Norfolk GQ and Tranter’s Party. All generally reported a gradual return to in-person rehearsals as anxieties concerning public health eased. An initial decline in active participation improved through the period, although not all groups had recovered in strength sufficiently to be able to undertake public performance as frequently as before the pandemic. Other than as a means of maintaining contact with members who might otherwise not be able to participate in activities the practice of meeting remotely [by Zoom] tailed off during the year, although periodic meetings of trustees continued to be held by this method.
The easing of restrictions enabled the Association to hold a General Meeting during a singing day in Winchester in May, a weekend singing event at Retford in October, and a one-day training course for conductors in Bedford in November.
Summary from returns received:-
| Live meetings |
On-line meetings |
performances | Outreach participative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Valley | | 1 | ||
| Beaminster | - | - | - | |
| Bedford GQ | | - | 4 | 2 |
| Bristol Harmony | | - | 2 | 1 [SWQD, with Crediton] |
| CTBS | | - | 2 | |
| Chiltern | | - | 3 | |
| Christminster Singers |
| - | - | |
| Gladly Solemn Sound |
| - | 3 | |
| Grace Darling | | - | - | |
| Greenwood | | | 3 | |
| Immanuel’s Gr. | | - | 3 | 2 [inc. MSQD] |
| John Moore | | - | 4 | 1 |
| Larks of Dean Q | | - | 2 | |
| LGQ | | - | 4 | |
| TMC | | | 6 | 1 |
| Marsh Warblers | | - | - | 1 [3QD, with Sussex H] |
| Norfolk | ||||
| Purbeck VQ | | - | 5 | 1 |
| Sussex Harmony | | - | 7 | 3 |
| Thomas Clark | | - | - | |
| Tranter’s Party | ||||
| Tuesday Occ. | | - | - |
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Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
| Village Q | | - | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washaway | | - | 2 | |
| WGQ Crediton | | - | 2 | 2 [inc. SWQD, with Br.H.] |
| With Cheerful Voice |
| 2 |
Support
Over the 30+ years since the WGMA was formed, sound recordings have been made, and continued to be made, at workshop events and concerts by many people. Over 3000 tracks are available, of hundreds of distinct pieces. Tracks were shared between quires to help their recorded repertoires.
We thank the many people who applied skills to bring our music to the online audience.
The web site calendar was maintained throughout the year with notices of forthcoming events. We are grateful to Mike Wilson-Smith for his voluntary efforts as Webmaster, and for his further technical work.
The newsletter was published at the equinoxes and solstices, thanks to editor Heather Flockton and all the contributors.
E) Financial Review
The WGMA ran the events at Winchester in May and Retford in October, funding the hire of premises and basic refreshments. Participants paid for music books which they kept, and for meals provided at Retford.
No funds are in deficit.
Principal income was from members' subscriptions, and from a small volume of sales of music anthologies, books and recordings.
We thank Richard Percival for his work as Treasurer and Zuzanna Forster-Fake for services as Financial Scrutineer.
F) Other optional information
Membership declined from 410 to 378.
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Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022
G) Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.
Secretary Chairman
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| The West Gallery Music Association Income Statement Year ended 31 December 2022 Income Subscriptions Autumn weekend Retford Income Expense Surplus Net event income surplus Merchandise Sales Cost of sales Net merchandise surplus Interest on Deposit Accounts Total income/(net costs) Expenditure Web Site Newsletter and directory Paypal fees Public Liability Insurance Meeting room Cost of meetings Research meetings WGMA publicity & membership leaflet Total expenditure Surplus for the year |
Year ended 31 December £ £ 3,542.00 2,795.00 2,776.25 18.75 18.75 1,366.24 614.98 751.26 4.52 4,316.53 - 725.25 9.84 80.00 260.00 - - 0.00 1,075.09 3,241.44 2022 |
Year ended 31 December £ £ 3,488.00 - 0.00 0.00 0.00 422.75 231.68 191.07 3.00 3,682.07 144.00 1,645.50 10.60 80.00 0.00 - - 0.00 1,880.10 1,801.97 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 18.75 1,366.24 614.98 |
0.00 422.75 231.68 |
|
| - 725.25 9.84 80.00 260.00 - - 0.00 |
144.00 1,645.50 10.60 80.00 0.00 - - 0.00 |
|
The West Gallery Music Association Balance Sheet
| The West Gallery Music Association Balance Sheet |
||
|---|---|---|
| Inventory of books Deposits for future events Cash balances Current Account Business Saver Account Total assets Represented by: Accumulated fund brought forward Surplus/(deficit) for the period Accumulated fund carried forward |
31 December 2022 £ - - 9,229.06 30,109.64 39,338.70 36,097.26 3,241.44 39,338.70 |
31 December 2021 £ 117.11 200.00 5,675.03 30,105.12 |
| 36,097.26 | ||
| 34,295.29 1,801.97 |
||
| 36,097.26 |