## **THE BOUNDSTONE CHORUS: SEASON 2024-25** 

## **Concerts:** 

The 2024-25 Season began at St Michael and All Angels Church with a massed celebration marking the centenary of the church. We joined the Worthing Salvation Army Band for a rousing evening of hymns and contributed our own items of the _Hallelujah Chorus_ and _Sing!_ which is a choral setting of Widor’s Toccata. The evening was compered by BBC Songs of Praise presenter Pam Rhodes. 

Our first concert of the season was Alexander L’Estrange’s _Wassail! Carols of Comfort and_ Joy on Saturday 30 November. We were joined by Alexander and his Call Me Al Quintet, St Andrew’s CE High School Choir and Sompting Village Primary School Choir and performed to a packed audience. Each choir performed their own items in the first half accompanied by Alexander. 

We were invited to take part in the KSS Air Ambulance Carol Service at Lancing College Chapel on Wednesday 18 December together with members of Worthing Choral Society. We led the congregational carols and contributed our own items to this event which was raising money for the continued work of the Air Ambulance. 

Our next performance was on Saturday 21 December with the annual “Christmas Celebration”. Well-known Christmas favourites in which the audience participated were sung alongside items from the choir alone, including _O Holy Night_ by Adolphe Adam and _The Christmas Blessing_ by Philip Stopford. The retiring collection was in aid of the NSPCC and raised £682. 

On Saturday 29 March we performed Joanna Forbes L’Estrange’s _A Season to Sing_ . In 2023 we had taken up the opportunity to co-commission this work which is a choral reimagining of Vivaldi’s _The Four Seasons_ . This gave us exclusive performance rights and ours was only the fourth performance ever and the second since the London premiere. In this piece Joanna uses the music from _The Four Seasons_ set to words on the theme of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.  In the first half of the concert we performed Aedan Kerney’s _Song of the Seasons_ which complemented Joanna’s piece well. It is a great privilege to be involved in creating and performing new music and although the music in _A Season to Sing_ isn’t new, it is a wholly new arrangement and The Boundstone Chorus’ name is proudly included in the vocal score alongside the fifty other choirs from around the world who all contributed to the costs of producing this great work. Later in the year five members of the Chorus joined Joanna and the Choir of St Dunstan’s, Mayfield to make the official recording of the piece. 

Our final concert of the year on Saturday 14 June. “A Heart Made Full” celebrated the 80[th] birthdays of Sir John Rutter and our own Aedan Kerney MBE. The first half was made up of music composed by Aedan including his _Lord’s Prayer_ , _Celtic Blessing_ and _A Heart Made Full_ setting of two poems by John Clare, plus some other favourites. The second half was all music by John Rutter and included the opening movement of his _Gloria_ , plus _Look at the World_ , _The Lord bless you and keep you_ , and _A Gaelic Blessing_ . 

The accompanist for the Christmas, March and June concerts was Philip White-Jones, Lancing College organist. 

The two musical directors and chorus administrator met to discuss plans for the 2025-26 season and beyond with ambitious plans including a joint concert with Worthing Choral Society of Brahms _Requiem_ in 2026. They also made plans to continue recruitment into the choir, encouraging younger singers and the launch of a new Instagram page. 

We have continued to embrace a wide range of music to reinforce the eclectic programming of the choir which has been a feature throughout its 40-year history. Commissioning new music and working with living composers doesn’t come cheap but reflects our commitment to the best in community music-making and giving our singers the best opportunities for memorable performance experiences. 

## **Musical Leadership:** 

Aedan Kerney and Mattea Leow have continued as Musical Director and Associate Musical Director. They both bring different skills to the conducting podium but share the same positive and enthusiastic outlook for the levels of performance that the Chorus can achieve. We are truly blessed to have both of them. 



CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
The Boundstone Chorus
1173539
Recei
ts and
ments accounts
CC16a
For the perlod
from
Period sli3rl date
0110912024
Period end date
3110812025
To
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
to tho noarost
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Totsl funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the noar¢st É
to the nearest £
to thè n•arest£
A1 Recel ts
Voluntary re￿Ipts
Charitable activitie5
AGtivities for generating funds
Interest
4,894
6,122
20
287
4.894
6.122
20
287
4.661
2,088
129
313
ross income
or
AR)
11,323
11.323
7,191
sset an
see table .
nvestment Sa
es,
11,323
11,323
7,191
A3 Pa ments
Costs of charitable acbvits.es
Fundraising costs
Governan￿ costs
11,248
11.248
7.996
Sub total
11,248
11.248
7.996
A4 Asset and Investment
Sub total
11.248
11,248
7,996
Net of receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds thls year end
75
75
805
23.406
23.481
23.406
23.481
23.406

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestrlcted
Restrlcted
funds
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
Categories
Details
B1 Cash funds
Bank account
23,481
Total cash funds
23,481
18gree b8ian¢e$wrth ree*ipts paymen1$
accounllsll OK
Unrestrlcted
funds
to nearest £
OK
OK
Endowment
funds
to naarest £
Restrlcted
funds
to noarest £
Details
B2 Other monetary assets
Fund to whlch
asset belon
Currènt valu•
tlonal
Details
Cost loptSonall
Fund to which
asset belon
Current value
tional
Details
Cost lopllonall
B4 Assets retained for the
charity's own use
Fund to whl¢h
rèlates
Arnountdue
lonal
When duo
Details
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or tsvo trustees on
beh81f of all the trustee$
Signature
Prlnt Name
Date of
roval
C G CLINCH
1710912025
l£L
I TOUT
1710912025