(-h2rity number.. 11785C)() Repc)rt and 2CC()unt8 f()r the }ear ended _31 December 2022
The Lute Society
Contents
Charity No. 1178599
| Report of the trustees | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Statement of financial activities | 4 |
| Balance sheet | 5 |
| Notes forming part of the accounts | 6-10 |
| Report of the independent examiner | 11 |
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Report of the trustees
for the year ended 31 December 2022
The trustees present their report and accounts of the Lute Society (the “Society”) for the year ended 31 December 2022. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of SORP (FRS 102) (“the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102”), FRS 102 itself, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
In following SORP (FRS 102), the accounts have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 which require an earlier Charities SORP, since withdrawn. This departure is as advised by the Charity Commission and is only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the Society are to advance the study of, and to educate the public in, the history, playing technique, music, construction and other aspects of the lute and related instruments.
To further these objectives the Society produces a quarterly magazine for members and an annual scholarly journal; publishes editions of sheet music for the lute; maintains a collection of lutes and related instruments available for hire; and holds regular public meetings including presentation of research papers and performances of lute music.
In setting our objectives and planning our activities the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
Achievements and performance
Further details of the Society's activities, publications and lutes available for hire can be found on the Society's website at www.lutesociety.org.
Membership
Anyone interested in the lute, whether as a maker, player, musicologist, or for whatever reason, is welcome to become a member for a modest subscription. Concessionary subscriptions are available. There were 1,183 (2021: 1,226) subscribing members at the end of December, including 452 members (2021: 364) who in return for a slightly lower subscription receive the magazine and journal in electronic format only.
| Geographical distribution of members: UK Europe USA and Canada Japan Australia and New Zealand Other countries |
2022 496 324 259 49 41 14 1,183 |
2021 518 340 268 45 41 14 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,226 |
Magazine and journal
The quarterly magazine for members, Lute News , distributed to members by post or on-line, and the Lutezine, available to them on-line , include articles on subjects related to the lute, and a music supplement with sheet music not generally accessible otherwise. New members are sent an introductory New members’ pack with a selection of sheet music for the lute. The pack was reprinted during the year, with a print run of 600 copies.
The annual scholarly journal, The Lute, is produced in arrears, and is sent to those who were members of the Society for the relevant year. The Society published no journals during the year, but plans to issue the journal for 2018 and further journals in the coming year.
1
The Lute Society
Report of the trustees (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022
Charity No. 1178599
Publications
The Society publishes sheet music editions, working plans, and other publications relating to the lute and related instruments. Popular titles are pre-printed and held in stock, while others are printed to order. During the year, the Society published a tablature edition of Robert de Visée’s Pièces de théorbe et de luth originally published in stave notation, Songs from the Shows (contemporary settings of songs from plays by Shakespeare and others), an edition of John Wilson’s Cheerful Airs , and arrangements for lute of Gaelic airs. Work in progress includes editions of the works of Daniel Bacheler and François Dufault, and a facsimile edition of Playford’s Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues .
The Society also sells publications from other publishers who are no longer active including the Brian Jordan/Scolar Press editions of English Ayres and early guitar music from Chanterelle. The Society continues to promote modern lute music, and makes modern compositions by members available for downloading from its web page.
Hire of instruments
The Society's collection of lutes and similar instruments enables potential players to experiment before buying their own instrument. The more unusual instruments in the collection, including lutes of different sizes and tunings, enable groups to perform the particular works requiring these instruments, and the smaller lutes encourage children to take up the lute.
During the year, the Society received donations of an 8 course renaissance lute in E and a 13 course baroque lute from Matthew Ridgeon, and a 6 course Egyptian oud from Rod White.
Public meetings
The Society holds regular public meetings including the presentation of papers, and live performances of music for the lute and similar instruments either in a formal concert setting or illustrating papers. Attendance at meetings is normally free for members of the Society and the general public, but there is an admission fee for the main recital afterwards.
The normal programme of quarterly meetings in London was resumed following the relaxation of Covid restrictions. Parts of the meetings were recorded so that members unable to attend could view them later on-line. In February two recently restored instruments from the Royal Academy of Music’s museum were demonstrated, and David van Edwards spoke about the history of lute cases before the introduction of plywood. In May, Ian Pittaway explored medieval plucked instruments. September’s meeting included Din Ghani’s explanation of the role of Fleet Street in English lute song publishing, and in December Thea Abbott reminisced about the late Bob Spencer, a seminal figure in the Society.
The London meetings also included mini recitals, and each meeting ended with a main concert, given by Yair Avidor, Jakob Lindberg, Sam Brown with Dowland Youth Works, and Nigel North. In April, a further meeting was held in Oxford jointly with the Viola da Gamba Society, on the theme of William Lawes’ music and his connections with Oxford.
A similarly varied programme is already in place for 2023.
Educational and outreach activities
Benslow Music Trust held a four day educational course, the 'Lutefest', at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, in association with the Society, which included individual tuition for participants, and workshops and performances with singers, other instrumentalists and lute consorts. The ‘Lutefest’ will be repeated in 2023.
The Society encourages members to participate in a variety of lute related activities. In March, a playing day was held in Yorkshire jointly with the North Eastern Music Forum. Several informal 'Flow my beers' evenings were held in pubs, with opportunities for lutenists to play.
The Society also maintains links with related societies worldwide, and sent a representative to meetings in Basel and Milan.
Volunteers
The Society is indebted to the considerable work done voluntarily by its members and others which include editing publications and getting them ready for publication, contributions to the magazine and journal, participation in public meetings, and serving on the committee.
Financial review
Funds at the end of the year were £166,640 (2021: £154,237) including £14,477 (2021: £10,141) in the general fund, £151,806 (2021: £143,760) in the instrument fund and £357 (2021: £336) in the student bursary fund. Donations in 2023 included a significant bequest of £9,648 from Gillian Brown, a former member.
2
The Lute Society
Report of the trustees (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022
Charity No. 1178599
Reserves policy
The reserves policy is to set the instrument fund equal to the value of instruments held in fixed assets and to maintain the remaining reserves in a general fund at a level where income covers expenditure (excluding one-off costs) year on year. The financial risks of rising and falling demand are managed by matching expenditure to income where possible. The Society's cash surplus results in part from membership subscriptions received up to three years in advance and the backlog of annual journals for previous years not yet produced. The trustees consider this policy adequate to cover future contingencies as if additional cash is needed the Society can sell instruments.
Structure, governance and management
The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity no. 1178599, formed under a constitution dated 5 May 2018. It is the successor to the unincorporated Lute Society, which was formed in 1956 and became a registered charity on 24 January 2001, and which transferred its operations and assets to the CIO on 31 December 2018.
As trustees, the elected members of the committee examine the major risks which the Society faces when preparing and updating plans for future activities.
Principal office
3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE.
| Charity trustees | Officers and co-opted members of the committee (non-voting) |
|---|---|
| David van Edwards, President | Secretary: Christopher Goodwin |
| Luke Emmet, Chair and website editor (appointed 7 May 2022) Publicity secretary: Hector Sequera | |
| Nancy Carlin | New CD listings, reviews editor: John Reeve |
| Sam Chapman | |
| Richard Corran | Other roles |
| Kevin Drake | Lute hire administrators: Bridgewood & Neitzert |
| Martin Hudson (appointed 7 May 2022) | Plans administrator: Bruce Brook |
| Peter Jones | Microfilm librarian: John Reeve |
| David Protheroe, Treasurer (appointed 7 May 2022) | Donald Gill librarian: Djilda Segerman |
| Sarah Shepley | Magazine editor: Christopher Goodwin |
| Alain Verberkmoes (appointed 7 May 2022) | Journal editor: Christopher Goodwin |
| Kevin Feeney (resigned 2 December 2022) | Editorial sub-committee: Michael Lowe, Tim Crawford, |
| Nick Gravestock (retired 7 May 2022) | John Robinson, Peter Forrester, Matthew Spring, |
| Paul Overell (retired 7 May 2022) | David van Edwards, Christopher Page, Peter Holman |
| Elizabeth Pallett (retired 7 May 2022) | |
| Matthew Spring (retired 7 May 2022) | Honorary members |
| Anthony Bailes | |
| John Robinson | |
| Independent examiner | Peter Lay |
| Michael Gray | Dame Emma Kirkby CBE |
Approved by the trustees on 15 April 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Luke Emmet, Chair
3
The Lute Society
Statement of financial activities
Charity No. 1178599
for the year ended 31 December 2022
| Note Income from donations and legacies Donations of instruments Donations to student bursary fund Other donations from charitable activities Membership subscriptions Magazine and journal 4 Publications 5 Hire of instruments 6 Public meetings 7 other income Bank interest Total income Expenditure on charitable activities Magazine and journal 4 Publications 5 Hire of instruments 6 Public meetings 7 Awards of student bursaries Total expenditure Net income for the year Reconciliation of funds Total funds at 1 January as restated 14, 15 Total funds at 31 December 14, 15 |
Unrestricted funds £ |
Restricted funds £ |
Total 2022 £ 5,400 410 10,727 16,537 39,832 140 18,225 14,928 2,723 75,848 175 92,560 47,581 15,977 7,572 8,638 389 80,157 12,403 154,237 166,640 |
Total funds 2021 as restated £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,400 - 10,727 |
- 410 - |
5,400 410 10,727 |
- 165 1,288 |
|
| 16,127 | 410 | 1,453 | ||
| 39,832 140 18,225 14,928 2,723 |
- - - - - |
39,832 140 18,225 14,928 2,723 |
39,794 70 19,214 13,521 808 |
|
| 75,848 175 92,150 47,581 15,977 7,572 8,638 - 79,768 12,382 153,901 166,283 |
- - 410 - - - - 389 389 21 336 357 |
73,407 13 |
||
| 74,873 | ||||
| 41,624 17,412 8,691 6,223 - |
||||
| 73,950 | ||||
| 923 153,314 |
||||
| 154,237 |
Comparative figures for 2021 have been restated for a prior year adjustment (see note 3).
4
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Balance sheet
at 31 December 2022
| Note Tangible fixed assets 9 Current assets Stock 10 Debtors Current asset investments – short term deposits Cash and cash equivalents Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year 11 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities 12 Provisions for liabilities 13 Net assets Funds Unrestricted funds Instrument fund 13 General fund 13 Restricted income funds Student bursary fund 14 Total funds Liabilities:amounts falling due after more than one year |
31 December 2022 £ 152,080 3,836 1,824 10,059 53,772 69,491 (27,513) 41,978 194,058 (5,302) (22,116) 166,640 151,806 14,477 166,283 357 166,640 |
31 December 2021 as restated £ 143,927 |
|---|---|---|
| 4,734 1,648 - 53,586 |
||
| 59,968 (25,562) |
||
| 34,406 | ||
| 178,333 (5,333) (18,763) |
||
| 154,237 | ||
| 143,760 10,141 |
||
| 153,901 336 |
||
| 154,237 |
Comparative figures for 31 December 2021 have been restated for a prior year adjustment (see note 3).
The accounts on pages 4 to 10 were approved by the trustees on 15 April 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Luke Emmet, Chair
5
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Notes forming part of the accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2022
1. General
The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales under number 1178599. Its principal office is at 3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE.
2. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition, FRS 102, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Accounting convention
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of donated assets at fair value in 1997 or at the date of acquisition if later. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.
Going concern
The trustees consider the Society is a going concern as there are no material uncertainties affecting its ability to continue and it is able to manage its costs in line with income.
Apportionment of support costs
Support costs are apportioned to activities to present the costs of those activities fairly, in proportion to the related income, the purpose of the expenditure, or the secretary’s time on each activity.
Fixed assets
Fixed assets are recorded at cost or, if donated to the Society, at their fair value on the date of the gift. Depreciation is provided at 33% a year on cost for office equipment in order to write it off over its estimated useful life. No depreciation is provided on instruments for hire because of their high residual value. Fixed assets are regularly assessed for impairment, and written down if impaired.
Stock
Stock is recorded at the lower of cost of net realisable value. Because of the long periods over which stock for resale is held, ten years or more, and the uncertainty over future sales, net realisable value is generally taken to be zero once a title reaches its break-even point. The effect of this is that stock for resale is written down by cumulative sales until those cumulative sales equal cost and the stock reaches nil value. Any further sales are credited directly to income.
Slow moving stock is assessed for impairment at the end of each year, and impairment losses are recognised or reversed accordingly.
Deferred income
Subscriptions and hire income paid in advance are carried forward in the balance sheet as deferred income. Deferred income is discounted by the time value of money, if material, over the period until it is expected to be settled.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include bank current accounts and deposits with an original maturity of less than three months. Bank deposits with a maturity of more than three months are included in short term deposits.
Provisions
The estimated costs of printing and distributing the annual journal and quarterly magazines are provided in the year to which the journal or magazine relates because members are entitled to receive a copy for each year that they belong. The provision is discounted by the time value of money over the period until it is expected to be settled, if material.
Instrument fund
The instrument fund is an unrestricted fund designated by the trustees to establish a collection of lute and related instruments. Donated instruments which the trustees intend to hold permanently for the benefit of the Society are credited to the instrument fund at the fair value on the date of donation. When an instrument is purchased, the amount of the purchase is transferred from the general fund to the instrument fund. Impairments or reversals are charged or credited to the instrument fund. Other income and expenditure relating to the instruments is included in the general fund.
6
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Notes forming part of the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022
Donated goods and services
Donated goods are recognised at fair value at the date of the donation. Donated services are measured at the value of the gift to the Society. No accounting value however is placed on the time contributed by volunteers because it can’t be calculated reliably.
Cash flow statement
No cash flow statement has been presented as FRS102 exempts small entities from disclosing cash flows.
3. Prior year adjustment
Repairs and maintenance of hire instruments were understated by £1,940 in 2021. In these accounts, the comparative figures for repairs and maintenance in note 6 and trade creditors in note 11 have been increased by £1,940. The effect on the general fund is shown in note 14. There is no effect on periods prior to 2021.
4. Magazine and journal
| 4. Magazine and journal Income from advertising in magazine Expenditure Quarterly magazine printing Annual journal printing New members’ packs reprinting Postage and packing Allocation of support costs (note 8) Net expenditure on magazine and journal 5. Publications Income from sales of publications Expenditure Printing to order Cost of sales from stock Postage and packing Impairment of stock Allocation of support costs (note 8) Net income on publications 6. Hire of instruments Income from hire of instruments Expenditure Repairs and maintenance (2021 restated – see note 3) Instrument administration Allocation of support costs (note 8) Net income from hire of instruments |
2022 140 13,057 2,700 1,592 14,000 16,232 47,581 47,441 18,225 4,961 1,178 5,531 - 4,307 15,977 2,248 2022 14,928 2,960 2,507 2,105 7,572 7,356 |
2021 70 |
|---|---|---|
| 11,351 2,320 - 11,987 15,966 |
||
| 41,624 | ||
| 41,554 | ||
| 19,214 | ||
| 4,517 1,755 4,318 2,653 4,169 |
||
| 17,412 | ||
| 1,802 | ||
| 2021 restated 13,521 |
||
| 3,628 3,208 1,855 |
||
| 8,691 | ||
| 4,830 |
7
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Notes forming part of the accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2022
| 7. Public meetings Income from concert tickets and refreshments Expenditure Performers and lecturers (including virtual meetings) Hire of venue Allocation of support costs (note 8) Net expenditure on public meetings 8. Support costs Apportionment method Secretary's fee secretary’s time on each activity Office costs secretary’s time on each activity Travelling expenses secretary’s time on each activity Bank charges related income Depreciation of office equipment (note 9) secretary’s time on each activity Public liability insurance meetings Governance secretary’s time on each activity Publicity secretary’s time on each activity Apportionment of support costs to charitable activities Magazine and journal (note 4) Publications (note 5) Hire of instruments (note 6) Public meetings (note 7) The independent examiner received no remuneration (2021: £nil). |
2022 2,723 3,734 2,653 2,251 8,638 5,915 18,516 2,288 2,206 1,619 129 96 41 - 24,895 16,232 4,307 2,105 2,251 24,895 |
2021 808 |
|---|---|---|
| 3,133 1,200 1,890 |
||
| 6,223 | ||
| 5,415 | ||
| 18,825 1,394 1,491 1,380 103 48 140 499 |
||
| 23,880 | ||
| 15,966 4,169 1,855 1,890 |
||
| 23,880 |
Postage, packing and stationery costs are allocated directly to the relevant activity.
| 9. Tangible fixed assets Cost or valuation At 1 January 2022 Acquisitions Donations At 31 December 2022 At 1 January 2022 Charge for the year At 31 December 2022 At 31 December 2022 At 31 December 2021 Accumulated depreciation and impairment Net book value |
Instruments for hire 145,609 2,647 5,400 153,656 1,850 - 1,850 151,806 143,759 |
Office equipment 3,957 235 - 4,192 3,789 129 3,918 274 168 |
Total 149,566 2,882 5,400 |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157,848 | |||||
| 5,639 129 |
|||||
| 5,768 | |||||
| 152,080 | |||||
| 143,927 |
There were no capital commitments (2021: £nil).
8
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Notes forming part of the accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2022
| 10. Stock 31 December 2022 Held for resale 3,416 Consumables 420 3,836 |
31 December 2021 2,574 2,160 |
|---|---|
| 4,734 |
Stock held for resale includes facsimiles and modern editions of lute music. Other publications printed to order are not included in stock. The stock of consumables comprises postage stamps for future mailings.
| Movement of stock Held for resale Consumables Total 2022 2022 2022 At 1 January 2,574 2,160 4,734 Acquired 2,020 7,457 9,477 Postage of magazine and journal - (4,996) (4,996) Postage of publications - (4,021) (4,021) Publications sold (note 5) (1,178) - (1,178) General postage - (180) (180) Impairment of stock (note 5) - - - At 31 December 3,416 420 3,836 11. Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year 31 December 2022 Trade creditors (2021 restated – see note 3) 9,290 Secretary's fee 3,106 15,117 27,513 12. Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year Deferred income: subscriptions received in advance between one and two years ahead 4,695 between two and five years ahead 607 5,302 13. Provisions for liabilities Provisions for journal and magazine printing and distribution: expected to be produced in the following year 14,295 expected to be produced in the year after 7,821 22,116 Movement in provisions Journal Magazine Total At 1 January 2022 12,400 6,363 18,763 Increase in provision 2,700 7,016 9,716 Utilised in the year - (6,363) (6,363) At 31 December 2022 15,100 7,016 22,116 Deferred income: subscriptions and hire income received in advance for the following year |
Total 2021 8,274 10,843 (4,628) (5,312) (1,755) (35) (2,653) |
|---|---|
| 4,734 | |
| 31 December 2021 as restated 7,343 3,825 14,394 |
|
| 25,562 | |
| 4,693 640 |
|
| 5,333 | |
| 14,295 4,468 |
|
| 18,763 | |
9
The Lute Society
Charity No. 1178599
Notes forming part of the accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2022
| 14. Unrestricted funds Movement in year At 1 January 2022 as previously stated Prior year adjustment (note 3) At 1 January 2022 restated Net income for the year Instruments purchased At 31 December 2022 |
Instrument fund 143,760 - 143,760 5,400 2,646 151,806 |
General fund 12,081 (1,940) 10,141 6,982 (2,646) 14,477 |
Total unrestricted 155,841 (1,940) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 153,901 12,382 - |
|||
| 166,283 |
Donations of instruments are allocated to the instrument fund. All other unrestricted income and expenditure is allocated to the general fund.
| 15. Restricted fund 31 December Student bursary fund 2022 At 1 January 336 Donations received 410 Awards of student bursaries (389) At 31 December 357 |
31 December 2021 171 165 - |
|---|---|
| 336 |
To encourage greater uptake of the instrument among music students, the society has a bursary fund to provide places on short courses such as the Society’s annual residential weekend at Benslow. It is a restricted fund: money raised for the fund can only be used for this purpose.
16. Related party transactions
Trustees or parties connected to them received £1,539 (2021: £596) in total for specialist services provided to the Society. These were reasonable amounts for the services provided and were pre-agreed by the Society having regard to Charity Commission guidance in respect of the remuneration of trustees. Three trustees claimed expenses of £306 in total (2021: one trustee £114).
| Specialist services provided by trustees Service provided Repairs to lutes for hire Lecture and recital fees Royalties on working drawings Commission on book sales Video performance Concert performance Total services |
Trustee or connected party Luke Emmet, trustee Matthew Spring, trustee David van Edwards, trustee Thea Abbott, connected to David von Edwards, trustee Amarylli, a group including Elizabeth Pallett, trustee Sarah Stowe, connected to Matthew Spring, trustee |
2022 1,310 200 10 19 - - 1,539 |
2021 - - 30 66 300 200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 596 |
No other trustee or person connected with a trustee has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from the Society.
10
Charity No. 1178599
Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees of The Lute Society on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022
I have examined the accounts on pages 4 to 10.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Your attention is to drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared the accounts in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition in preference to the earlier Charities SORP issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has been withdrawn.
I understand that this has been done in order for the accounts to provide a true and fair view in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Practice effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
-
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements (a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, and (b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act, have not been met; or
-
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Michael Gray
15 Chesterfield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1LN
15 April 2023
11